Strange Binary System | Space Wallpaper

By Space.com Staff
published

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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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.