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V4641 SagittariiA stellar mass black hole in the constellation Sagittarius.
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What happens when you get close to a black hole?The exact effects depend on the size and mass of the black hole. More » |
Structure of a Black HoleAlthough black holes come in a variety of masses and sizes, their structures are all alike. A black ... More » |
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The black hole that is nearest to Earth appears to be just 1,600 light-years away. It is a member of a binary system known as V4641 Sagittarii (Sgr).
Astronomers learned of the black hole’s presence in 1999, when the system flared up. X-ray and radio telescopes detected powerful “jets” of charged particles racing away from the system at almost the speed of light.
V4641 Sgr consists of a black hole and a “normal” companion star. The black hole is stealing hot gas from the companion. When en...