April 30, 2024

NASA’s Black Hole Orrery – Spectacular Visualization of 22 X-Ray Binary Systems That Host Black Holes

Cygnus X-1, with the biggest buddy star revealed, is the very first black hole ever validated and weighs about 21 times more than the Sun. In many of these systems, a stream of gas flows directly from the star towards the black hole, forming around it a broad, flattened structure called an accretion disk. In many of these systems, a stream of matter from the star forms an accretion disk around the black hole. In others, like the well-known system called Cygnus X-1, the star produces a hefty outflow that is partially swept up by the black holes gravity to form the disk.

Find out more about the best-known great void systems in our galaxy and its neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud. This visualization provides 22 X-ray double stars that host confirmed great voids at the same scale, with their orbits accelerated by about 22,000 times. The view of each system shows how we see it from Earth. Star colors ranging from blue-white to reddish represent temperature levels from 45% cooler to 5 times hotter than our Sun.
In many of these systems, a stream of matter from the star forms an accretion disk around the great void. In others, like the well-known system called Cygnus X-1, the star produces a substantial outflow that is partially swept up by the great voids gravity to form the disk. Because they sport even higher temperature levels than the stars, the accretion disks utilize a various color plan.
The largest disk revealed, belonging to a binary called GRS 1915, spans a range greater than that separating Mercury from our Sun. The black holes themselves are revealed bigger than in truth using spheres scaled to show their masses.

Find out more about the best-known black hole systems in our galaxy and its next-door neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and Scientific Visualization Studio
This visualization reveals 22 X-ray binaries in our Milky Way galaxy and its closest next-door neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud, that host verified stellar-mass black holes. The systems are depicted at the very same physical scale, and their orbital motion is accelerated by nearly 22,000 times. The view of each binary replicates how we see it from Earth. The colors of the stars vary from blue-white to reddish, representing temperature levels from 45% cooler to 5 times hotter than our Sun.
While the black holes appear on a scale reflecting their masses, all are illustrated using spheres bigger than their real size. Cygnus X-1, with the biggest companion star shown, is the very first black hole ever validated and weighs about 21 times more than the Sun. Its surface area– called its event horizon– covers just about 77 miles (124 kilometers). The bigger spheres likewise cover up noticeable distortions produced by the black holes gravitational effects.
In the majority of these systems, a stream of gas flows directly from the star towards the black hole, forming around it a broad, flattened structure called an accretion disk. In others, like Cygnus X-1, an enormous star produces a thick outflow called an outstanding wind, a few of which becomes swept up by the great voids intense gravity. Gas in the accretion disk warms up as the material slowly spirals inward, glowing in noticeable, ultraviolet, and lastly X-ray light. They use a different color plan due to the fact that the accretion disks reach even higher temperatures than the stars.