NGC 7793 with Microquasar, WF X-Ray


A microquasar has been discovered in the nearby galaxy NGC 7793. In these systems, a stellar-mass black hole is being fed by a companion star. The black hole in the microquasar is generating two powerful jets, which are blowing outward and creating huge bubbles of hot gas. Microquasars are miniature versions of powerful quasars in distant galaxies and therefore useful to jets in the NGC 7793 microquasar are the most powerful ever seen from a stellar-mass black hole and the data show that a surprising amount of energy from the black hole is being carried away by the jets, rather than by radiation from material being pulled inward. The power of the jets is estimated to be about ten times larger than that of the very powerful ones seen from the famous microquasar in our own galaxy, SS433. This system in NGC 7793 is a miniature version of the powerful quasars and radio galaxies, which contain black holes that range from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. Release date July 7, 2010.


Size: 4200px × 3182px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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