magnetospheric eternally collapsing object

A ball of hot and compact magnetized plasma held in equilibrium against its self-gravity by radiation pressure rather than gas pressure. A MECO is so extremely compact that its own radiation quanta move in almost closed orbits due to self-gravity. Therefore, though the MECO is extremely hot and luminous to a local observer it appears as almost ``Black'' to astronomers. According to Abhas Mitra, an Indian astrophysicist, and several other astrophysicists, the so-called ``Black Hole Candidates'' are actually MECOs rather than true Black Holes.