Circinus X-1: A system where a neutron star is in orbit around a star several times the mass of the Sun, about 20,000 light years from Earth.
Caption: This artist's illustration (main graphic) depicts the jet of relativistic particles blasting out of Circinus X-1, the first extended X-ray jet found to be associated with a neutron star in a binary system. The Chandra image (inset) shows this jet to the upper right, with possible evidence of counter jets to the lower left. The jet in Circinus X-1 is helping astronomers better understand how neutron stars, and not just black holes, can generate these powerful beams of particles.
Scale: Inset is 3 arcmin across.
Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS Image
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