Big Gulp Aftermath

X-ray energy forms expanding rings around the black hole V404 Cygni in this series of images from the Swift X-ray satellite. A disk of material around the central black hole erupted in June, probably as it suddenly ingested a big gulp of hot gas from a companion star. The eruption produced a torrent of X-rays, which reflect off of dust grains in the space around the black hole. This animation shows the eruption on July 2, 3, and 4 as the rings expand and fade. [Andrew Beardmore (Univ. of Leicester)/NASA/Swift]