Scientists have discovered the closest black hole yet, a mere 1,600 light years from Earth. At the peak of its X-ray output, V4641 Sgr was the brightest X-ray emitter in the sky.
Astronomers call this type of system an X-ray nova because it suddenly becomes a bright source of X-rays, but this object shows characteristics never seen in an X-ray nova.
Smith worked on data from this object with MIT principal research scientist Ronald Remillard and NRAO astronomer Robert Hjellming. Black holes harbor enormous gravitational force that can literally rip the gas away from a nearby star. Both orbiting X-ray telescopes and ground-based radio and optical telescopes saw the outburst of V4641 Sgr.
The radio observations revealed the presence of a jet escaping from the system at mind-boggling speeds. Microquasar activity is thought to arise when the black hole in the binary system draws material away from its companion star. The material surrounding the black hole forms a rapidly spinning......
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