Alternate Names

SAX J1819.3-2525

Type

Stellar mass

Location

in the constellation Sagittarius

Finder Chart

Distance

1,600 light-years

Mass

3 to 10 times the mass of the Sun

Size

Diameter roughly 11-37 miles (18-60 km)

Discovery Methods

• Detection of a jet

An artist’s concept of a microquasar, like V404 Cygni. The black hole is stealing gas from a companion star (left). The gas forms a thin, hot disk around the black hole. When enough gas builds up there is a bright flare-up of X-rays, and jets of charged particles squirt away at close to the speed of light. [ESA]

This document was last modified: June 23, 2007.