supermassive black holes

The very first image of the event horizon of a supermassive black hole. This shows the silhouette of a black hole with a mass 6.5 billion times that of the Sun, located at the core of the galaxy M87 55 million light years away from Earth. Credit: NSF
Peering down the cliff of infinity: The first image of the event horizon of a black hole
Phil Plait
Apr 10, 2019

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Tag: active galaxies
Astronomers spot a massive doughnut of material around quasar Cygnus A’s supermassive black hole
Phil Plait
Apr 3, 2019
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Cygnus A
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Tag: galaxy cluster
A distant black hole powers a colossal galactic fountain
Phil Plait
Nov 29, 2018
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Composite image of the galaxy cluster Abell 2597 showing X-rays from background hot gas (purple), radio waves from cold gas falling toward the center (yellow), and warm hydrogen gas (red).
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Astronomers see material orbiting a black hole *right* at the edge of forever
Phil Plait
Nov 8, 2018
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A computer simulation shows the light emitted from dust swirling at 30% the speed of light around a black hole. Incredibly strong gravity affects the path the light takes, creating the warped structure. Credit: ESO/Gravity Consortium/L. Calçada
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Tag: M 106
Thanks to a huge black hole, this galaxy grew an extra pair of arms
Phil Plait
Sep 13, 2018
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The inner disk of the spiral galaxy M 106 shows a pair of “anomalous arms”, actually gas heated by emission from the central black hole. Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and R. Gendler (for the Hubble Heritage Team). Acknowledgmen
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Tag: Milky Way
Stunning chaos in the galactic core
Phil Plait
Jul 17, 2018
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The center of the Milky Way galaxy imaged in radio waves by the MeerKAT observatory. Supernova, stellar nurseries, and filaments of gas are strewn everywhere. Credit: MeerKAT
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Astronomers watch the aftermath of a star ripped apart by a huge black hole
Phil Plait
Jun 19, 2018
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Artwork depicting a star torn apart by a black hole in Arp 299, with a beam of material blasting away. Credit: Sophia Dagnello, NRAO/AUI/NSF; NASA, STScI
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A star is about to plunge head first toward a monster black hole. Astronomers are ready to watch.
Phil Plait
Mar 7, 2018
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Artwork depicting three stars and their orbits around Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Credit: ESO/M. Parsa/L. Calçada
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Ring(s) around the black hole
Phil Plait
Feb 15, 2018
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Hubble image of the magnificent spiral galaxy M 77. Credit: NASA, ESA & A. van der Hoeven
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The black hole on the edge of forever
Phil Plait
Dec 6, 2017
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Hercules A is a relatively nearby active galaxy, with a black hole in its heart eating matter and blasting out huge amounts of radiation and matter.
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Seeing Einstein's hand in stars orbiting a supermassive black hole
Phil Plait
Aug 16, 2017
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Artwork depicting three stars and their orbits around Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Credit: ESO/M. Parsa/L. Calçada
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Tag: Relativity