The innermost region of the active galaxy NGC 1068

New insight into the central region of the active galaxy NGC 1068, at increasing magnification. Image a (left) is a colour composite of NGC 1068, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); showing stellar light in blue, oxygen ionized by the active nucleus in yellow, and inonized hydrogen in red. Image b (middle) is a VLTI image by MIDI at wavelength 8.7 µm, penetrating the dust cloud and showing the central structures in great detail. Image c (right) is a sketch of the dust structure of the innermost region. It contains a central hot component (at least 500°C; yellow), marginally resolved by the VLTI observations in the North-South direction (i.e. in the vertical direction in this image). It is surrounded by a larger warm component (~50°, red) that is well resolved. The arrows at the upper left indicate the directions of the two VLTI baselines and the corresponding resolution (image sharpness) at the central observed wavelength (10.5 µm).

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:phot-13-04
Type:Observation
Release date:3 December 2009, 23:19
Size:1703 x 547 px

About the Object

Name:Messier 77
Type:Local Universe : Galaxy : Activity : AGN
Distance:35 million light years
Category:Galaxies
Quasars and Black Holes

Image Formats

Large JPEG
238.5 KB
Screensize JPEG
99.5 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
91.6 KB
1280x1024
108.4 KB
1600x1200
155.7 KB
1920x1200
226.2 KB
2048x1536
216.0 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
OpticalHubble Space Telescope
Optical
Oii
Hubble Space Telescope
Infrared
Near-IR
8.7 μmVery Large Telescope
MIDI
Optical
Hii
Hubble Space Telescope