NASA kicks off black hole week with breathtaking image of in-between galaxy

NASA commenced its black hole week by sharing the latest image of a galaxy captured by Hubble. The space telescope recently observed NGC 3489, an in-between, lenticular galaxy. This form of galaxy encompasses features of both spiral and elliptical ones, such as having a central bulge of multiple stars and a circular disk made up of gas, dust and stars. 

Their most defining trait of this type of galaxy is its aged star populations. However, lenticular galaxies do not have arms and do not experience excessive star formation. In the case of NGC 3489, an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is present. The nucleus is situated right at the center of the galaxy, emitting bright light and radiation. It serves as the host of a black hole that can destroy anything that comes too close to it. 

Welcome to #BlackHoleWeek!

To celebrate, Hubble has new images to share featuring active galactic nuclei, or AGNs. Some galaxies contain AGNs, which are extremely bright central regions that host a supermassive black hole!

First up, feast your eyes on NGC 3489 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Dcj2pjCEgN

— Hubble (@NASAHubble) May 1, 2023

NGC 3489: The mysterious galaxy far, far away 

This type of lenticular galaxy is known as a Seyfert galaxy because of its AGN being dimmer than others. Some 30 million light-years away, NGC 3489 is located in the Leo constellation. Sharing a snapshot captured by Hubble, NASA tweeted: "Welcome to #BlackHoleWeek! To celebrate, Hubble has new images to share featuring active galactic nuclei, or AGNs."

"Some galaxies contain AGNs, which are extremely bright central regions that host a supermassive black hole! First up, feast your eyes on NGC 3489," it added. Earlier in April, the space telescope observed Z 229-15, a celestial object in the Lyra constellation that is placed about 390 million light-years away from our home planet.