V4641 Sgr: The Closest Black Hole Candidate
Explanation:
An object many astronomers believe is a
black hole has been found only 1500
light-years from Earth,
making it the closest
black hole candidate.
Although dramatic explosions emanate from the object,
it is far enough away so that we are in no danger.
Pictured above, V4641 was imaged just after
emitting an outburst in the radio band.
Jets, which lasted only minutes, are visible.
V4641 is the fourth known
microquasar, a miniature version of the massive, matter spewing
black holes thought to exist in the
centers of galaxies.
The explosions are not thought to emanate from within the
black hole, a location where neither matter
nor information can escape, but from around the
black hole, where matter from its companion star may
be heating up as it falls in.
Astronomers are
working to understand why
V4641 acts strangely even for a
black hole, as the
explosions it creates fade within minutes,
and appear at different times in
different bands of light.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
