ESA uses cookies to track visits to our website only, no personal information is collected.
By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. OK
Find out more about our cookie policy.
    • → European Space Agency

    • ESA Web TV

    • Videos on demand

    • Videos for professionals

    • Next Transmissions

    ESA > Television > 2013 > 03 > MAXI J1659­–152
    Login | Register

    Search and order online

      • Filter (Broadcast quality)
        • All
        • Videos: any
        • Videos: online
        • Videos: tape
        • Transmissions
        • Broadcast quality
    • Advanced Search

    MAXI J1659­–152

    • Watch in:
    • en
    Download MP4 (2.94 MB)
    Source MOV (1.28 MB)

    Details

    Open/Close
    • Video Online only
    • Title MAXI J1659­–152
    • Released: 20/03/2013
    • Length 00:00:11
    • Language English
    • Footage Type Animation
    • Copyright ESA
    • Description

      MAXI J1659–152 is a rapidly spinning binary system comprising a black hole more than three times more massive than the Sun and a red dwarf companion star only 20% the mass of the Sun. The pair are separated by only 1.3 solar radii, or just under one million kilometres. Thanks to a 14.5 hour observing campaign by ESA’s XMM-Newton, scientists were able to measure a record-breaking orbital period of just 2.4 hours – the fastest spinning binary system with a black hole. The black hole orbits around the system’s common centre of mass at 150 000 km/h, while the companion travels at two million kilometres per hour, making it the fastest-moving star ever seen in a binary system. 
      The centre of mass is so close to the black hole due to its vast mass that it appears as if it is not orbiting. In this animation the focus is on the periodic absorption dips detected by XMM-Newton as the stream of material from the companion impacts on the black hole’s accretion disc. 
      The system was first found on 25 September 2010 by NASA’s Swift space telescope, with follow-up observations by the Japanese MAXI instrument on the International Space Station, NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, ESA’s XMM-Newton and ESO’s ground-based Very Large Telescope.

    TAGS

    Open/Close
    • Activity Space Science

    TAGS

    Open/Close

    Details

    Open/Close

    Clips

    Open/Close

    No broadcast quality clips available

    Clips

    Open/Close

    ESA TV NOTIFICATIONS

    ALL TRANSMISSIONS

    VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

    USEFUL LINKS

    EUROVISION WorldLink

    Europe by Satellite

    Euronews Space

    NASA Television

    Roscosmos TV

    Arianespace News

    Hubble Telescope

    USING OUR VIDEOS

    Terms and Conditions

    Help

    Contact us

    • Connect with us
    • Subscribe
    • FAQ

    • Contacts

    • Terms and conditions

    • Privacy notice

    • Careers at ESA

    • Subscribe