Watch: Hubble captures image of galaxy 250M light-years away
What's the story
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the spiral galaxy UGC 11397, located in the constellation Lyra. This isn't just any ordinary picture; the light that created this image took a whopping 250 million years to reach Hubble. UGC 11397 appears to be a typical spiral galaxy with two beautiful spiral arms illuminated by stars and defined by dark, clumpy clouds of dust, but it is distinguished by its active galactic center.
Cosmic phenomenon
What makes UGC 11397 special?
What makes UGC 11397 special is its supermassive black hole, which weighs a staggering 174 million times more than our Sun. As this black hole consumes gas, dust, and even whole stars from its surroundings, the material gets heated up and creates a spectacular cosmic light show. This activity releases light across the electromagnetic spectrum from gamma rays to radio waves.
Astronomical classification
How was the galaxy classified?
Despite the spectacular cosmic light show, much of this energetic activity is hidden from view in optical light by thick clouds of dust. To note, UGC 11397's actively growing black hole was detected through its bright X-ray emission—high-energy light that can penetrate the surrounding dust. This led astronomers to classify it as a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy, an active galaxy with a central region that is obscured by a donut-shaped cloud of dust and gas.
Research goals
Why the study is important
With Hubble, researchers plan to study hundreds of galaxies like UGC 11397 that have a growing supermassive black hole. These observations will help scientists weigh supermassive black holes nearby, understand how they grew in the early universe, and even study star formation in the extreme environment at a galaxy's very center. The findings could provide valuable insights into cosmic evolution and the role of black holes.