What do a gigantic black hole and the remains of a massive, exploded star have in common? These are both dramatic celestial phenomena where extremely hot gas produces highly energetic X-ray light that the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) can see.

In its first published results, XRISM, a mission led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with participation from ESA, shows its unique capabilities to reveal the speed and temperature of sizzling hot gas, called plasma, and the three-dimensional structures of material surrounding a black hole and an exploded star.

“These new observations provide crucial information in understanding how black holes grow by capturing surrounding matter, and offer a new insight into the life and death of massive stars. They showcase the mission’s exceptional capability in exploring the high-energy Universe,” says ESA XRISM Project Scientist Matteo Guainazzi.