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An X-ray binary system is a pair of stars where one star is a compact object, such as a neutron star or a black hole, and the other is a more ordinary star. The compact object's intense gravity pulls matter from its companion star. As this matter spirals inward, it heats up to extremely high temperatures, emitting powerful X-rays. These X-ray emissions are so intense that they are detectable from Earth with specialized telescopes. Cygnus X-1 is a notable example, providing early evidence for the existence of black holes.12

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  1. Cygnus X-1
  2. X-ray source

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