GS-1354-64

FAIL2 

Alternate Names

V821 Ara

Type

Stellar mass

Location

In the constellation Ara, the altar

Distance

27,000 light-years

Mass

5.8 to 10 times the mass of the Sun

Size

Diameter 20-35 miles (31-60 km), equal to the size of a large city

Discovery Methods

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

An illustration shows hot gas from a low-mass companion star (right) flowing into an accretion disk around the black hole. [ESO/L. Calçada]

This document was last modified: January 13, 2011.