A Quasar Portrait Gallery
Explanation:
Quasars
(QUASi-stellAR objects) lie near the edge of the observable
Universe.
Discovered in 1963,
astronomers
were astounded that such objects could be
visible across billions of light-years, as this implies
they must emit prodigious
amounts of energy.
Where does
the
energy come from?
Many believe the quasar's central engine is a giant black hole
fueled by tremendous amounts of infalling gas, dust, and stars.
This
gallery of quasar portraits from the Hubble Space
Telescope offers a look at their local neighborhoods: the quasars themselves
appear as the bright star-like objects with
diffraction spikes.
The
images in the center and right hand columns reveal quasars
associated with disrupted colliding and merging galaxies
which should provide
plenty
of debris to feed a hungry
black
hole.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
