Scientists using NASA\u2019s Chandra X-Ray Observatory have measured winds of 20 million MPH coming from a mysterious cosmic object known as a stellar-mass black hole within our galaxy.<\/p>\n
Scientists from the University of Michigan have discovered the fastest winds ever measured from a stellar-mass black hole, a discovery with important implications in understanding the nature of this class of black holes.\u00a0 The winds were measured at 20 million MPH, and are emanating from a disk of gas that surrounds the black hole.\u00a0 The winds are many times faster than anything researchers have measured previously from a stellar-mass object, and equal some of the fastest known winds generated by much larger supermassive black holes, which are millions of times more massive.<\/p>\n
The stellar-mass object is known as IGR J17091-3624, or IGR J17091.\u00a0 IGR J17091 is a binary system where a star is orbiting the black hole, and is located in the central part of our Milky Way Galaxy approximately 28,000 light years from Earth.<\/p>\n
In a research paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters<\/em>, lead author Ashley King of the University of Michigan said that the winds were \u201c\u2026the cosmic equivalent of winds from a category five hurricane,\u201d and that \u201cWe weren\u2019t expecting to see such powerful winds from a black hole like this.\u201d<\/p>\n The scientists were surprised that IGR J17091 was able to generate such enormous wind speeds.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a surprise this small black hole is able to muster the wind speeds we typically only see in the giant black holes,\u201d said co-author Jon M. Miller.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026this black hole is performing well above its weight class.\u201d\u00a0 Typically these speeds are seen in black holes many millions or billions the mass of IGR J17091.<\/p>\n