Type

Stellar mass

Location

In the galaxy NGC 300, in the constellation Sculptor

Distance

6 million light-years (1.85 megaparsecs)

Mass

15 times the mass of the Sun

Size

Diameter about 45 miles (75 km) roughly equal to the size of a large county

Discovery Methods

• Detection of an accretion disk
• Measuring the motions of a companion star

An artist's concept of the NGC 300 X-1 system, showing the massive star dumping gas onto the black hole. The gas forms a small but extremely hot disk. Some of the material is funneled into strong "jets" that shoot away from the poles of the black hole. The companion star also produces strong "winds," surrounding the star with a cloud of gas. [ESO/L. Calçada/M.Kornmesser]

This document was last modified: January 13, 2011.