National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Black Holes Are "Green," X-Ray Study Says


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A composite image of the galaxy NGC 4696 shows a vast cloud of hot gas (red) surrounding high-energy bubbles ten thousand light-years across (blue) on either side of the bright white area around its supermassive black hole.

New research reveals that supermassive black holes are "green," or highly fuel efficient.

X-ray courtesy NASA/CXC/KIPAC/S. Allen, et al.; radio courtesy NRAO/VLA/G. Taylor; infrared courtesy NASA/ESA/McMaster University/W. Harris