chandra_563 March 5th, 2014
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Michigan/R.C.Reis et al; Optical: NASA/STScI
Multiple images of a distant quasar known as RX J1131-1231 are visible in this combined view from Chandra (pink) and Hubble (red, green, and blue). The Chandra data, along with data from ESA's XMM-Newton, were used to directly measure the spin of the supermassive black hole powering this quasar. Black holes are defined by just two simple characteristics: mass and spin. At a distance of 6 billion light years, this is the most distant black hole where such a measurement has been made, allowing for an important advance in understanding how black holes grow over time.
Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/rxj1131/
Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
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