[Reading Science] Capturing the Brightly Shining 'Black Hole' at the Heart of a Galaxy

European Southern Observatory Releases Image of Galaxy 'NGC 1097' from Late Last Month
Bright 'Heart' at Center: Light from Gas and Dust Absorbed by Supermassive Black Hole

NGC 1097 galaxy. Source=European Southern Observatory (ESO)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A captivating astronomical photo vividly capturing the supermassive black hole at the heart(?) of a massive galaxy located in deep space has been released.

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) publicly shared on the 23rd of last month an image of the galaxy NGC 1097 in the constellation of Pyre, approximately 45 million light-years away from Earth. This photo was taken during the second observation program conducted between August and November, following initial tests after the installation of ERIS in February. The hazy dust inside the round ring-shaped NGC 1097 galaxy is spectacular. Additionally, bright spots representing star clusters of newly formed, bright, and hot stars?found in star-forming regions of the ring?were observed.

A particularly notable feature is the clear observation of the supermassive black hole at the center of the sparkling ring, emitting radiation as it devours surrounding gas and dust-like materials. Dr. Kang Sung-joo, an astronomy expert at the Gwacheon National Science Museum, explained, "Supermassive black holes are originally invisible to the naked eye, but the gas and dust being sucked into the black hole shine brightly, effectively revealing its presence."

This observation photo was captured using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) located in the Cerro Paranal region in northern Chile, equipped with the ERIS (Enhanced Resolution Imager And Spectrograph) instrument. ERIS, which began operation in February, is a device that includes infrared equipment (NIX) capable of observing not only the solar system and exoplanets but also distant galaxies like NGC 1097 for at least the next ten years.

The near-infrared camera system NIX uses coronagraphy to block light from stars, allowing fainter objects near those stars to be seen more clearly. It employs four filters: blue, green, red, and deep red (magenta). Additionally, using the 3D spectrograph (SPIFFIER), it collects the light spectrum from every pixel in the telescope's field of view, measuring the wavelengths and intensities of light present in each pixel. Utilizing this, astronomers can closely examine the movements of distant galaxies from Earth, such as observing how fast stars orbit Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.