apod
06-27-08, 12:53 PM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/m81_composite_c800.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/m81_composite.jpg) M81: Feeding a Black Hole
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Wisconsin/D.Pooley & CfA/A.Zezas;
Optical: NASA/ESA/CfA/A.Zezas; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA/J.Huchra et al.; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA
Explanation: This impressive (http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2008/m81/) color composite shows spiral galaxy M81 across the electromagnetic (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ ems1.html) spectrum. It combines X-ray data (blue) from the Chandra (http://chandra.harvard.edu/chronicle/index.html) Observatory, infrared data (pink) from the Spitzer (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/features/articles/ index.shtml) Space Telescope, and an ultraviolet image (purple) from the GALEX (http://www.galex.caltech.edu/) satellite, with a visible light (green) Hubble (http://hubblesite.org/) image. The inset highlights X-rays from some of M81's black holes, including black holes (http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/blackholes.html) in binary star systems with about 10 times the mass of the sun, as well as the central, supermassive black hole of over 70 million solar masses (http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/Solar+Mass). Comparing computer models of the giant black hole's energy output to the multiwavelength data (http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.0344) suggests that feeding that monster (http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast29feb_1m.htm) is relatively simple -- energy and radiation is generated as material in the central region swirls inwards forming an accretion disk (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020927.html). In fact, the process otherwise appears to be just like the accretion process feeding M81's stellar mass black holes, even though the central black hole is millions of times more massive. M81 itself (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060707.html) is about 70,000 light-years across and only 12 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080627.html)
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Wisconsin/D.Pooley & CfA/A.Zezas;
Optical: NASA/ESA/CfA/A.Zezas; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA/J.Huchra et al.; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA
Explanation: This impressive (http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2008/m81/) color composite shows spiral galaxy M81 across the electromagnetic (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ ems1.html) spectrum. It combines X-ray data (blue) from the Chandra (http://chandra.harvard.edu/chronicle/index.html) Observatory, infrared data (pink) from the Spitzer (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/features/articles/ index.shtml) Space Telescope, and an ultraviolet image (purple) from the GALEX (http://www.galex.caltech.edu/) satellite, with a visible light (green) Hubble (http://hubblesite.org/) image. The inset highlights X-rays from some of M81's black holes, including black holes (http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/blackholes.html) in binary star systems with about 10 times the mass of the sun, as well as the central, supermassive black hole of over 70 million solar masses (http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/Solar+Mass). Comparing computer models of the giant black hole's energy output to the multiwavelength data (http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.0344) suggests that feeding that monster (http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast29feb_1m.htm) is relatively simple -- energy and radiation is generated as material in the central region swirls inwards forming an accretion disk (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020927.html). In fact, the process otherwise appears to be just like the accretion process feeding M81's stellar mass black holes, even though the central black hole is millions of times more massive. M81 itself (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060707.html) is about 70,000 light-years across and only 12 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080627.html)