3c321
Encyclopedia
3C 321 is a system of two galaxies rotating around each other. They are notable for showing the first observed galaxy smiting another galaxy with a blast of energy, which is theorized to be from a supermassive black hole
at the center of the former galaxy.
The larger galaxy, dubbed the "Death Star Galaxy" by NASA astronomers, has an energetic jet directed towards its companion. The discovery was announced by NASA Dec 18 2007. Observation of the enormous jet was possible due to the combined efforts of both space and ground-based telescopes.
Tools included NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
, the Hubble Space Telescope
, Spitzer Space Telescope
, the Very Large Array
-VLA
, and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network.
Supermassive black hole
A supermassive black hole is the largest type of black hole in a galaxy, in the order of hundreds of thousands to billions of solar masses. Most, and possibly all galaxies, including the Milky Way, are believed to contain supermassive black holes at their centers.Supermassive black holes have...
at the center of the former galaxy.
The larger galaxy, dubbed the "Death Star Galaxy" by NASA astronomers, has an energetic jet directed towards its companion. The discovery was announced by NASA Dec 18 2007. Observation of the enormous jet was possible due to the combined efforts of both space and ground-based telescopes.
Tools included NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Chandra X-ray Observatory
The Chandra X-ray Observatory is a satellite launched on STS-93 by NASA on July 23, 1999. It was named in honor of Indian-American physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar who is known for determining the maximum mass for white dwarfs. "Chandra" also means "moon" or "luminous" in Sanskrit.Chandra...
, the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope , formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility is an infrared space observatory launched in 2003...
, the Very Large Array
Very Large Array
The Very Large Array is a radio astronomy observatory located on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, some fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico, USA...
-VLA
VLA
VLA may refer to:Transport* RUM-139 VL-ASROC, a vertically-launched anti-submarine rocket* Very Light Aircraft, a category of aircraft, per the European EASA CS-VLA specificationsGovernment Agencies...
, and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network.