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Scientists can't directly observe black holes with telescopes that detect x-rays, light, or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. We can, however, infer the presence of black holes and study them by detecting their effect on other matter nearby. If a black hole passes through a cloud of interstellar matter, for example, it will draw matter inward in a process known as accretion. A similar process can occur if a normal star passes close to a black hole. In this case, the black hole can tear the star apart as it pulls it toward itself. As the attracted matter accelerates and heats up, it emits x-rays that radiate into space. Recent discoveries offer some tantalizing evidence that black holes have a dramatic influence on the neighborhoods around them - emitting powerful gamma ray bursts, devouring nearby stars, and spurring the growth of new stars in some areas while stalling it in others.
X-RAY BURSTS - Bursts of X-ray energy that occur in low-mass X-ray binary systems in which a neutron star and low-mass main sequence star are in orbit around one another. Due to their close proximity and the extreme gravity of the neutron star, the companion star overflows its Roche lobe and H is drawn into an accretion disk around the neutron star.
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