Cygnus X-1 star. Negative optical image of the star (arrowed) associated with the X-ray source Cygnus X-1,thought to contain a black hole. Black holes are areas of space where the gravitational field is so strong that light cannot escape. It is thought Cygnus X-1 contains a black hole in mutual orbit with a larger companion star. This system emits X-rays as gas pulled from the star is accelerated and heated as it is sucked into the hole. Cygnus X-1 lies around 82,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Royal Greenwich Observatory |
Taille de l’image : | 5013 px × 3846 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |