Lian Tao

The black hole in the binary system Swift J1727.8-1613 flickers in X-rays like a campfire in the wind. But if you look closely at the rhythm of this flickering, you can see distinct 'humps'—bursts at specific frequencies, like drumbeats in the noise of a crowd.

The X-ray pulsar Centaurus X-3 is a neutron star that spins rapidly and emits pulses of X-ray light like a lighthouse. Scientists pointed three space telescopes at it and studied the polarization of its emission — how the electric field of the light wave oscillates.

The black hole Swift J1727.8-1613 emits X-ray bursts in a strict rhythm — like a cosmic heart. Gas falling onto the hole forms a spinning disk, and its glow pulsates. A Chinese telescope picked up this rhythm, like a stethoscope catching a heartbeat.