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> Active galaxy NGC 1068

Active galaxy NGC 1068

author: Nasa/Cxc/NRAO/Novapix

reference: a-gax10-68008

Image Size 300 DPI: 28 * 30 cm

This is a composite image of NGC 1068, one of the nearest and brightest galaxies containing a rapidly growing supermassive black hole. X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory are shown in red, optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope in green and radio data from the Very Large Array in blue. The spiral structure of NGC 1068 is shown by the X-ray and optical data, and a jet powered by the central supermassive black hole is shown by the radio data. The X-ray images and spectra obtained using Chandra's High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer show that a strong wind is being driven away from the center of NGC 1068 at a rate of about a million miles per hour. This wind is likely generated as surrounding gas is accelerated and heated as it swirls toward the black hole. A portion of the gas is pulled into the black hole, but some of it is blown away. High energy X-rays produced by the gas near the black hole heat the ouflowing gas, causing it to glow at lower X-ray energies. NGC 1068 is located about 50 million light years from Earth and contains a supermassive black hole about twice as massive as the one in the middle of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Keywords for this photo:

2010 - ACTIVE GALAXY - ACTIVE GALAXY NUCLEUS - AGN - ASTRONOMY - BLACK HOLE - CETUS - CHANDRA - COMPOSITE - EVOLUTION - GALACTIC BLACK HOLE - GALAXY - HST - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - JET - M77 - NGC 1068 - RADIO - SEYFERT GALAXY - SPIRAL GALAXY - STAR - SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE - VERY LARGE ARRAY - VLA - X - X-RAY -