Artist's Impression of Galaxy with Outflow

Nhsc_nhsc2013-006a_1024

nhsc_nhsc2013-006a February 13th, 2013

Credit: ESA

This illustration shows a galaxy in the early Universe that is releasing material via two symmetric outflows triggered by the supermassive black hole hosted at its center.

The effects of supermassive black holes on their host galaxies pose a tricky puzzle: numerical simulations suggest that star formation in early galaxies might be suppressed by the activity of the supermassive black holes at their centers. In some galaxies, the central black hole accretes matter at extraordinarily high rates, giving rise to very bright emission across the electromagnetic spectrum; these galaxies are said to host an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The accretion process is accompanied by the outflow of material and, if it is powerful enough, this may eventually drain the galaxy's reservoir of gas, halting its star-forming activity.

Provider: Herschel Space Observatory

Image Source: https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2013-006a

Curator: NASA Herschel Science Center, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Activity > AGN
Nhsc_nhsc2013-006a_1280
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ID
nhsc2013-006a
Subject Category
C.5.3.2  
Subject Name
Credits
ESA
Release Date
2013-02-13
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2013-006a
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
NASA Herschel Science Center
URL
http://www.herschel.caltech.edu/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/
Publisher
NASA Herschel Science Center
Publisher ID
nhsc
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-06-21T00:21:53Z
Metadata Version
1.2
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