This is an item I am re-posting from its source. A flare-up in a jet of matter blasting from a monster black hole is giving astronomers an incredible light show.
The outburst is coming from a blob of matter, called HST-1. It's embedded in the jet which is a powerful narrow beam of hot gas produced by a supermassive black hole residing in the core of the giant elliptical galaxy M87.
HST-1 is so bright that it is outshining even M87's brilliant core, whose monster black hole is one of the most massive yet discovered.
The glowing gas clump has taken astronomers on a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Astronomers watched HST-1 brighten steadily for several years, then fade, and then brighten again. They say it's hard to predict what will happen next.
The outburst is coming from a blob of matter, called HST-1. It's embedded in the jet which is a powerful narrow beam of hot gas produced by a supermassive black hole residing in the core of the giant elliptical galaxy M87.
HST-1 is so bright that it is outshining even M87's brilliant core, whose monster black hole is one of the most massive yet discovered.
The glowing gas clump has taken astronomers on a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Astronomers watched HST-1 brighten steadily for several years, then fade, and then brighten again. They say it's hard to predict what will happen next.
Source: Hubblesite.org
