The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThis Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the faint host galaxy that a bright quasar dwells within. The wealth of new detail in this picture helps solve a three-decade old mystery about the true nature of quasars, the most distant and energetic objects in the universe.
The HST image shows clearly that the quasar, called 1229+204, lies in the core of a galaxy that has a common shape consisting of two spiral arms of stars connected by a bar-like feature. The host galaxy is in a spectacular collision with a dwarf galaxy. The collision apparently fuels the quasar "engine" at the galaxy center - presumably a massive black hole and also triggers many sites of new star-formation.
The image is one of a pair of relatively nearby quasars that were selected as early targets to test the resolution and dynamic range of HST's newly-installed Wide Field and Planetary Camera, which contains special optics to correct for a flaw in Hubble's primary mirror.