Hubble Observes Activity in a Galactic Center

Light from the spiral galaxy UGC 11397 took 250 million years to reach the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble used this ancient light to create the image above. The galaxy lies in the constellation Lyra (The Lyre). At first glance, it seems like an ordinary spiral galaxy. It has two elegant arms lit by stars and shaped by dark, clumpy dust clouds.

However, UGC 11397 stands out for what lies at its center. A supermassive black hole, weighing 174 million times more than our Sun, actively gains mass there. As it pulls in gas, dust, and even stars, the material heats up. This process produces a dazzling cosmic light show.

The black hole emits energy across many wavelengths, from gamma rays to radio waves. This emission can brighten or fade without warning. Still, in galaxies like UGC 11397, thick dust clouds often hide such activity from optical telescopes.

Fortunately, astronomers detected bright X-ray emissions from the galaxy. X-rays can pass through dust, revealing the hidden action. As a result, scientists classified UGC 11397 as a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy. This type describes active galaxies whose cores stay hidden in visible light due to a thick, donut-shaped cloud of dust and gas.

Now, researchers are using Hubble to examine hundreds of galaxies like UGC 11397. These galaxies also host growing supermassive black holes. With this data, scientists aim to measure black hole masses, study how they evolved, and understand star formation in extreme environments.