"Death Star" : galaxy black hole fires at neighbouring galaxy

Esahubble_ann0716_1024

esahubble_ann0716 December 17th, 2007

Credit: NASA & ESA

A powerful jet from a supermassive black hole is blasting a nearby galaxy, according to new data from NASA/ESA observatories. This never-before witnessed galactic violence may have a profound effect on planets in the jet's path and trigger a burst of star formation in its destructive wake. Known as 3C 321, the system contains two galaxies in orbit around each other. Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show both galaxies contain supermassive black holes at their centres, but the larger galaxy has a jet emanating from the vicinity of its black hole. The smaller galaxy apparently has swung into the path of this jet. This "death star galaxy" was discovered through the combined efforts of both space and ground-based telescopes. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope were part of the effort. The Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro, New Mexico (USA), and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) telescopes in the United Kingdom also were needed for the finding.

Provider: Hubble Space Telescope | ESA

Image Source: https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/ann0716/

Curator: ESA/Hubble, Garching bei München, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
3C 321
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Activity > AGN
Esahubble_ann0716_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 15h 31m 43.0s
DEC = 24° 4’ 22.9”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
0.4 x 0.3 arcminutes
Constellation
Serpens

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Chandra (ACIS) X-ray -
Very Large Array (VLA) (None) Radio -
Other (None) Radio -
Hubble (WFPC2) Optical (Oiii) -
Hubble (WFPC2) Optical (R) -
Hubble (STIS ) Ultraviolet (Near-UV) -
Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) -
Esahubble_ann0716_1280
×
ID
ann0716
Subject Category
D.5.3.2  
Subject Name
3C 321
Credits
NASA & ESA
Release Date
2007-12-17T19:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/ann0716/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Redshift distance from NED
Facility
Chandra, Very Large Array (VLA), Other, Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope
Instrument
ACIS, None, None, WFPC2, WFPC2, STIS , IRAC
Color Assignment
Band
X-ray, Radio, Radio, Optical, Optical, Ultraviolet, Infrared
Bandpass
-, -, -, Oiii, R, Near-UV, Near-IR
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
232.928980171, 24.0730370316
Reference Dimension
3600.0, 2627.0
Reference Pixel
1800.0, 1313.5
Scale
-2.03177648082e-06, 2.03177648082e-06
Rotation
-0
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
ESA/Hubble
URL
http://www.spacetelescope.org/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
City
Garching bei München
State/Province
Postal Code
D-85748
Country
Germany
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher
ESA/Hubble
Publisher ID
esahubble
Resource ID
ann0716
Metadata Date
2007-12-11T21:19:37-05:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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