images

Active galaxy M77 (NGC 1068) in Cetus

by

A.Block/MLSC/Univ.of Az/Novapix

Reference

a-gax10-68007

Date

2009-12-16

Located about 60 million light years from Earth, towards the direction of the constellation named Cetus, is an enormous galaxy, much larger than our own, that is surrounded by a even larger cloud of obscuring dust. M77 (NGC 1068) has a powerful jet pouring copious amounts of material into inter-galactic space at enormous speed. This galaxy is a seyfert II type with an active nucleus. It is now believed that the source of this commotion is a super-massive black hole, ten million times more massive than our Sun, in the process of absorbing material that has ventured too close. Image taken with a 24-inch telescope.