The Hubble Space Telescope recorded light that began 250 million years ago, reaching the spiral galaxy UGC 11397 in the lyre. This means that we see what the galaxy was when the dinosaurs had already disappeared from the earth.

UGC 11397 looks like a typical spiral galaxy: two curved “arms” full of stars, including dark dust strips. However, what sets him apart is his core: there is an oversized black hole with a mass of 174 million times larger than the sun.

When material is gathered around this black hole (gases, dust or even stars), it is heated so much that it emits light from the very high energies (gamma rays and X -rays) to very low (radio waves). The thick powders surrounding it block visible light, but X -rays can penetrate them. That is why astronomers classified UGC 11397 as Type 2 Seyfert – a kind of active galaxy with a hidden visible center.

Hubble will continue to observe hundreds of similar galaxies. By studying their broadcasts, scientists:

  • They will better calculate the mass of overwhelming black holes,
  • They will understand how the first black holes grew in the early years of the universe,
  • And they will learn how stars are formed in such extreme gravitational environments.

With these elements, we bring to light the “secret” engines of galaxies and better understand the history of the universe.