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> Active galaxy M77 (NGC 1068) in Cetus

Active galaxy M77 (NGC 1068) in Cetus

author: R.Jay GaBany/Novapix

reference: a-gax10-68006

Image Size 300 DPI: 29 * 19 cm

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.

Keywords for this photo:

2006 - ACTIVE GALAXY - ACTIVE GALAXY NUCLEUS - AGN - ASTRONOMY - BLACK HOLE - CETUS - GALAXY - M77 - NGC 1068 - SEYFERT GALAXY - SPIRAL GALAXY - STAR - SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE -