Narrator (Megan Watzke, CXC): This image shows one of the nearest and brightest galaxies to the Milky Way that contains a rapidly growing supermassive black hole known as NGC 1068. X-rays from Chandra along with optical data from Hubble show the majestic spiral structure of this galaxy. Radio data from the Very Large Array expose a jet of material blasting away from the giant black hole at the galaxy's core. The Chandra data also reveal a strong wind that is being driven away at a million miles per hour from this same region. This wind is probably gas that has been accelerated and heated as it swirls towards the black hole. These results help explain how a supermassive black hole can alter the evolution of the galaxy in which it lives.
Revised: May 19, 2022