Dissecting Supermassive Black Holes: Pinpointing the Flows

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An illustration pinpointing the flows of a supermassive black hole

Release Date: March 17, 2021 9:54AM (EDT)

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Both active supermassive black holes and their galaxies emit infrared light, but it’s not clear precisely how much each is sending out into space. To complicate matters, the supermassive black holes emit both bright bipolar jets and broad, wispy winds that carve cavities into the galaxies around them. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will be able to pinpoint the light’s sources to help researchers understand where the energy originates and disentangle the processes at work.

Explore the resource gallery to find more infographics in this series, including "Converting Fuel," "Conditions for Star Formation," and "The Feedback Loop." The complete “Dissecting Supermassive Black Holes” infographic is also available to admire, print, and post on your wall!