NASA snaps jaw-dropping image of huge rings surrounding a black hole

NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory has snapped a phenomenal image of rings of light surrounding a black hole out in deep space.

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Black holes have been a center point for scientific exploration for many years now, and while progress is being made on their understanding, researchers still have a long way to go.

NASA snaps jaw-dropping image of huge rings surrounding a black hole 01

NASA has published a new image of a black hole using its Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. NASA explains on its website that the above image showcases rings around a black hole located in the binary system called V404 Cygni, that's located approximately 7,800 light-years from Earth. So, what causes these rings to appear in the X-ray image?

The space agency explains that the rings are caused by the black hole pulling material away from a companion star located within its approximate vicinity. The star is estimated to be about half the size of the Sun, and the rings that are clearly seen in the image aren't visible in visible light, but are clear as day through X-ray vision as the material "glows". Astronomers refer to systems such as these as "X-ray binaries". For more information on this story, check out this link here.

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NEWS SOURCES:petapixel.com, nasa.gov

Jak joined the TweakTown team in 2017 and has since reviewed 100s of new tech products and kept us informed daily on the latest science, space, and artificial intelligence news. Jak's love for science, space, and technology, and, more specifically, PC gaming, began at 10 years old. It was the day his dad showed him how to play Age of Empires on an old Compaq PC. Ever since that day, Jak fell in love with games and the progression of the technology industry in all its forms. Instead of typical FPS, Jak holds a very special spot in his heart for RTS games.

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