Filaments of Active Galaxy NGC 1275
Explanation:
What keeps these filaments attached to this galaxy?
The filaments persist in NGC 1275 even though
the turmoil of galactic collisions should destroy them.
First,
active
galaxy NGC 1275 is the central, dominant member of the large and
relatively nearby
Perseus Cluster of Galaxies.
Wild-looking at visible wavelengths, the active galaxy is also a
prodigious source of
x-rays
and
radio
emission.
NGC 1275 accretes
matter as entire galaxies fall into it, ultimately feeding a
supermassive black hole at the galaxy's core.
This composite image, recreated from
archival Hubble Space Telescope
data, highlights the resulting
galactic debris
and
filaments of glowing gas,
some up to 20,000 light-years long.
Observations
indicate that the structures, pushed out
from the galaxy's center by the black hole's activity, are
held together by
magnetic fields.
Also known as
Perseus A,
NGC 1275
spans over 100,000 light years and
lies about 230 million
light years away.
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.
