Chandra Release - January 17, 2024

Visual Description: SS 433

This composite image shows SS 433, a black hole embedded in a supernova remnant. The shape of the supernova remnant resembles the shape of a marine mammal known as the manatee, earning the remnant the nickname, the Manatee Nebula.

The manatee-like structure is oriented with its head toward the right side of the image, and its paddle-shaped tail toward the left side of the image, appearing as a somewhat transparent cloud of bluish-green. In the middle of the remnant is a bright white dot. This dot is black hole SS 433.

Farther toward our left, just above what would be the animal's tail, is an area mostly devoid of material. Here, jets of matter detected in X-ray light are purple-blue, with the black hole detected in X-ray light in pink. The jets are traveling in the opposite direction from the black hole at extreme speeds, causing distortion in the shape of the remnant.

The background of the image features a multitude of white flecks and wispy red streaks, stars and material glowing in infrared light.