Chandra Release - May 9, 2012

Visual Description: Herschel Galaxy Survey

This artist's concept showcases the galaxy Arp 220, located approximately 250 million light-years away in the constellation Serpens. The illustration highlights the galaxy's bright whitish core, indicative of an active supermassive black hole at its center. Energetic blue jets blasting from the core are overlaid, emphasizing the intense activity of the black hole. The area around the galaxy is mostly black with little dots of light, some of which are tiny distant galaxies. This visualization underscores the findings of the Herschel Galaxy Survey, which suggests that galaxies with highly active black holes tend to have suppressed star formation rates.