Artist's impression of the SS 433 system (IMAGE)
Caption
Artist's impression of the SS 433 system, depicting the large-scale jets (blue) and the surrounding Manatee Nebula (red). The jets are initially observable only for a short dis-tance from the microquasar after launch — too small to be visible in this picture. The jets then travel undetected for a distance of approximately 75 light-years (25 parsecs) before un-dergoing a transformation, abruptly reappearing as bright sources of non-thermal emission (X-ray and gamma-ray). Particles are efficiently accelerated at this location, likely indicating the presence of a strong shock: a discontinuity in the medium capable of accelerating particles.
Credit
Science Communication Lab for MPIK/H.E.S.S.
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