The Hubble House Telescope not too long ago focused the lenticular galaxy NGC 3489, seen right here, as a part of an ongoing survey.
NASA, ESA, P. Erwin (Max-Planck-Institut fur extraterrestrische Physik), L. Ho (Peking College), and S. Kaviraj (College of Hertfordshire); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic College of America)
The Hubble House Telescope not too long ago captured this fascinating picture of the lenticular galaxy NGC 3489, positioned some 30 million light-years away within the constellation Leo the Lion.
Lenticular galaxies are disk-shaped galaxies that skirt the road between spirals and ellipticals. In contrast to ellipticals, lenticulars do present some inside construction, internet hosting distinct central bulges surrounded by skinny disks of stars. However not like spirals, lenticulars don’t show full-fledged spiral arms which are bursting with star formation. As an alternative, lenticulars like NGC 3489 are dwelling to largely older and getting old populations of stars.
However regardless of its dearth of latest stars, NGC 3489 nonetheless sees a number of exercise. Like most (if not all) massive galaxies, NGC 3489 hosts a supermassive black hole at its core. And this black hole is busy.
NGC 3489 is dwelling to what astronomers name an active galactic nucleus (AGN). An AGN is a particularly vivid galactic core that’s powered by matter swirling round a galaxy’s supermassive black hole. This maelstrom of matter known as an accretion disk, and this superheated disk is what’s chargeable for emitting copious gentle throughout all the electromagnetic spectrum.
NASA, ESA, A. Barth (College of California – Irvine), and J. Dalcanton (College of Washington); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic College of America)
Hubble noticed NGC 3489 as a part of an ongoing survey of close by AGN. As a part of that survey, Hubble additionally captured the picture straight above of AM 1214-255, a pair of interacting galaxies that every hosts a luminous AGN powered by doomed matter violently whirling round a supermassive black hole.
Astronomers will use the observations collected as a part of this Hubble survey to additional examine the advanced relationships that exist between AGN, their black hole engines, their host galaxy’s construction, and extra.
