Rainbow-Colored Cloud Hides Baby Black Hole [1]

NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory Staff,Published: Feb 19, 2013, 0:16 PM EST: NASA

Composite image of W49B, including x-ray, infrared and radio imagery. (Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/L.Lopez et al.; Infrared: Palomar; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA

New data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory [2] suggest a highly distorted supernova remnant [3] may contain the most recent black hole formed in the Milky Way galaxy. The remnant appears to be the product of a rare explosion in which matter is ejected at high speeds along the poles of a rotating star.

The remnant, called W49B [4], is about a thousand years old as seen from Earth and located about 26,000 light-years away.

For more information on this story and some great videos click here. [5]