Hubble image archive
Milky Way Jet
This is a composite view of X-rays, molecular gas, and warm ionized gas near the galactic center. The graphic of a translucent, vertical white fan is added to show the suggested axis of a mini-jet from the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s heart. The orange-colored features...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2021
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2021-062-01fnvk3e72ck74a39q3k57jmm0
This is a composite view of X-rays, molecular gas, and warm ionized gas near the galactic center. The graphic of a translucent, vertical white fan is added to show the suggested axis of a mini-jet from the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s heart. The orange-colored features are of glowing hydrogen gas. One such feature, at the top tip of the jet is interpreted as a hydrogen cloud that has been hit by the outflowing jet. The jet scatters off the cloud into tendrils that flow northward. Farther down near the black hole are X-ray observations of superheated gas colored blue and molecular gas in green. These data are evidence that the black hole occasionally accretes stars or gas clouds, and ejects some of the superheated material along its spin axis.
Credits
Science
NASA, ESA, Gerald Cecil (UNC-Chapel Hill)
Image Processing
Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Galactic Center (Sagittarius A*) |
| Object Description | Black hole at the center of the Milky Way |
| R.A. Position | 23:59:46.73 |
| Dec. Position | +00:04:06.72 |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 26,000 light-years |
| Dimensions | Image is 6.7 arcmin across (about 50 light-years) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | This multiwavelength image combines data from several observatories with observations from HST program (Q. Wang) |
| Instrument | NICMOS |
| Exposure Dates | Feb-Jun 2008 |
| Filters | F187N |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | Blue: Chandra X-rayYellow: Hubble InfraredGreen: ALMA Millimeter Red: VLA Radio |
More Images From This Period
Downloads
- Unannotated Image, 2678 X 3310, TIF (14.22 MB)
- Unannotated Image, 2678 X 3310, PNG (14.84 MB)
- Unannotated Image, 1618 X 2000, PNG (5.40 MB)
- Chandra X-ray Only, 2678 X 3310, TIF (4.99 MB)
- Chandra X-ray Only, 2678 X 3310, PNG (6.55 MB)
- Chandra X-ray Only, 1618 X 2000, PNG (2.38 MB)
- Hubble IR Only, 2678 X 3310, TIF (13.24 MB)
- Hubble IR Only, 2678 X 3310, PNG (15.01 MB)
- Hubble IR Only, 1618 X 2000, PNG (5.34 MB)
- ALMA Millimeter Only, 2678 X 3310, TIF (575.75 KB)
- ALMA Millimeter Only, 2678 X 3310, PNG (636.81 KB)
- ALMA Millimeter Only, 1618 X 2000, PNG (238.06 KB)
- VLA Radio Only, 2678 X 3310, TIF (4.66 MB)
- VLA Radio Only, 2678 X 3310, PNG (7.14 MB)
- VLA Radio Only, 1618 X 2000, PNG (2.35 MB)
- Full Res, 2678 X 3310, TIF (14.31 MB)
- Full Res, 2678 X 3310, PNG (14.99 MB)
- 1618 X 2000, PNG (5.49 MB)
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov