Milky Way Jet

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 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)

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-ray
Yellow: Hubble Infrared
Green: ALMA Millimeter
Red: VLA Radio
Compass Image Multiwavelength composite view of Milky Way's center; vertical white fan graphic represents jet's axis from the black hole.
About The Object
Object Name A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
Object Description The type of astronomical object.
R.A. Position Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
Dec. Position Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
Constellation One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
Distance The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
Dimensions The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
About The Data
Data Description
  • Proposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
  • Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
Instrument The science instrument used to produce the data.
Exposure Dates The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
Filters The camera filters that were used in the science observations.
About The Image
Image Credit The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content.
Publication Date The date and time the release content became public.
Color Info A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
Orientation The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere.

Download