Shadow of Cosmic Weather (IMAGE)

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Shadow of Cosmic Weather

Caption

Composite image of Abell 2597 Brightest Cluster Galaxy. The background image (blue) is from the Hubble Space Telescope. The foreground (red) is ALMA data showing the distribution of carbon monoxide gas in and around the galaxy. The pull-out box is the ALMA data of the "shadow" (black) produced by absorption of the millimeter-wavelength light emitted by electrons whizzing around powerful magnetic fields near the galaxy's supermassive black hole. The shadow indicates that cold clouds of molecular gas are raining in on the black hole.

Credit

B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF); G. Tremblay et al.; NASA/ESA Hubble; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

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