Animation of a Black Hole Pulling Matter from Companion Star
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This animation shows the orbit of the binary system GRO J1655-40. Gas is being pulled away from a normal star, shown in blue, and crashes onto a red disk that is spinning around a central black hole. The animation then zooms in to show a closer view of the disk. Some of the gas in the disk spirals inwards and falls onto the black hole, generating light along the way, and some of it is blown away in a wind.
[Runtime: 0:19]
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A.Hobart)
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