GRS 1915 (IMAGE)

Chandra X-ray Center

GRS 1915

Caption

Researchers monitored this system with Chandra and RXTE for over eight hours and saw that it pulses in X-ray light every 50 seconds. This type of rhythmic cycle resembles an electrocardiogram of a human heart, though at a slower pace. The inset to the upper left shows a Chandra image of the system, while the one to the lower right contains its "heartbeats." The main graphic shows the crowded field containing GRS 1915 in optical light.

Credit

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Harvard/J. Neilsen et al.; Optical: Palomar DSS2

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