Astronomers have found that a nearby galaxy’s black hole is blasting out a far more powerful and hidden gas outflow than previously realized. Studying NGC1068, a well-known galaxy with an actively feeding black hole at its center, researchers combined new infrared observations with existing data to map how the black hole’s energy is reshaping the surrounding gas. The results are reported in a paper published Aug. 6 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Shaping how galaxies evolve
As matter falls into supermassive black holes, it releases huge amounts of energy, driving powerful winds or outflows from the galaxy’s center. These outflows can heat the surrounding gas, expel gas and stir up the star-forming material in the galaxy, preventing it from forming new stars...
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