 | | | | |
| | | | | |
|
Media Centre Press ReleasesESA TelevisionLaunch Media CornerExhibitionsServices CalendarPublicationsFrequently asked questionsESA-sponsored ConferencesHelpSite CreditsPortal terms of useCommentsSubscribe
| | | | | | | Hubble sees magnetic monster in erupting galaxy
Magnetic monster in erupting galaxy as seen by Hubble
21 August 2008
The Hubble Space Telescope has found the answer to a long-standing puzzle by seeing the details of giant but delicate filaments shaped by a strong magnetic field around the active galaxy NGC 1275.
These filaments are the only visible-light manifestation of the intricate relationship between the black hole hosted at the centre of the galaxy and the surrounding cluster gas. They provide important clues about how giant black holes affect their surrounding environment.
NGC 1275 is one of the closest giant elliptical galaxies. It is an active galaxy lying at the centre of the Perseus Cluster of galaxies. The supermassive black hole at its core blows bubbles of radio-wave emitting material into the surrounding cluster gas. Its most spectacular feature is the lacy filigree of gaseous filaments reaching out beyond the galaxy into the multi-million degree X-ray emitting gas that fills the cluster.
The full release is available on ESA's Science and Technology pages.
Notes for editors:
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA.
For more information:
Andy Fabian, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK
E-mail: acf @ ast.cam.ac.uk
Lars Lindberg Christensen, Hubble/ESA, Garching, Germany
E-mail: lars @ eso.org
| |
| | More about... Hubble overview Hubblecast Related articles Plethora of interacting galaxies on Hubble’s birthdayBlack hole found in Omega CentauriExploding star in nearby galaxyHubble finds first organic molecule on extrasolar planetHubble discovers 67 gravitationally-lensed galaxies in the distant universeHubble: One of the youngest and brightest galaxies foundGargantuan galaxy NGC 1132 - a cosmic fossil?Hubble finds double Einstein ring, and other resultsHubble - graceful dance of interacting galaxiesExtreme star cluster in new Hubble imagesIn depth This article in depth
|
