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Credit & Copyright: X-ray: Chandra: NASA/CXC/NRL/S. Giacintucci, et al., XMM-Newton: ESA/XMM-Newton;
Radio: NCRA/TIFR/GMRT;
Infrared: 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF;
Text:
Michael F. Corcoran
(NASA,
Catholic U.,
HEAPOW)
Explanation:
Astronomers believe they have now found the most powerful example
of a black hole outburst yet seen in our Universe.
The composite, false-color
featured image is of a
cluster of galaxies in the constellation of
Ophiuchus,
the serpent-bearer.
The composite includes
X-ray images
(from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton) in purple, and a
radio image
(from India's Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope) in blue (along with an
infrared
image of the galaxies and stars in the field in white for good measure).
The dashed line marks the border of a
cavity blown out by the
supermassive black hole
which lurks at the center of the galaxy marked by the cross.
Radio emission fills this
cavity.
This big blowout is believed to be due to the
black hole
eating too much and experiencing a transient bout of "black hole nausea",
which resulted in the ejection of a
powerful radio jet blasting into intergalactic space.
The amount of energy needed to blow this cavity is equivalent to about
10 billion supernova explosions.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: black hole - explosion
Publications with words: black hole - explosion
See also:
- APOD: 2024 November 24 Á Journey to the Center of the Galaxy
- APOD: 2024 October 1 Á Porphyrion: The Longest Known Black Hole Jets
- APOD: 2024 June 16 Á Animation: Black Hole Destroys Star
- Simulation: Two Black Holes Merge
- The Galaxy, the Jet, and a Famous Black Hole
- APOD: 2024 May 8 Á Visualization: A Black Hole Accretion Disk
- APOD: 2024 May 7 Á Black Hole Accreting with Jet