Strange Binary System | Space Wallpaper

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MWC 656 System Illustration
This fascinating wallpaper is an artist's concept of the MWC 656 system, which consists of a massive "Be" star and a companion black hole. (Image credit: Gabriel Pérez Díaz, Servicio MultiMedia (IAC))

This fascinating space wallpaper is an artist's concept of the MWC 656 system, which consists of a massive "Be" star and a companion black hole. The star rotates at very high speed, ejecting an equatorial disc of matter that is transferred to the black hole through an accretion disc. Surprisingly, the black hole emits no X-ray radiation, explaining how the object had eluded detection until now. [Read the Full Story ]

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