Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Jet from Galaxy M87

NASA ^ | August 28, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: What's causing a huge jet to emanate from the center of galaxy M87? Although the unusual jet was first noticed early in the twentieth century, the exact cause is still debated. The above picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998 shows clear details, however. The most popular hypothesis holds that the jet is created by energetic gas swirling around a massive black hole at the galaxy's center. The result is a 5000 light-year long blowtorch where electrons are ejected outward at near light-speed, emitting eerily blue light during a magnetic spiral. M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy residing only 50 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. The faint dots of light surrounding M87's center are large ancient globular clusters of stars.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: J. A. Biretta et al., Hubble Heritage Team (STScI /AURA), NASA]

[SunkenCiv]

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[cripplecreek]

Yikes. Don’t want to pass though one of those.

[no-to-illegals]

Worm Hole?

[freedumb2003]

We really are very tiny in the cosmos.

Thank God God watches after us.

Someday, maybe millions of years from now, God will step in and we will get a galactic Bible that explains how it all fits together in His plan. Like the Newer Testament?

In the meantime, we can only hope He will brief us when we pass on and we will probably LOAO...

[left that other site]

Beans for lunch?

[Gargantua]

Galactic fart?

[driftdiver]

I thought the pentagon banned passing gas?

[null and void]

Yeah, the adults version.

[citizencon]

Galactic Warming

Gore should go over there and preach.

[JoeProBono]

[doorgunner69]

The amount of energy to do that is beyond comprehension........

[ixtl]

Hey, it’s just E.T. phoning home.

(Sorry, couldn’t resist)

[Bean Counter]

5000 light years is 30,000 Trillion miles long...

That’s right, thirty thousand trillion miles....

[no-to-illegals]

Your idea makes more sense than mine.

[Shadowstrike]

Impressive...most impressive.

[icanhasbailout]

Pfft our debt will be more than that soon

[NormsRevenge]

I BraKe FoR Astral PheNomeNa! BumP

Cool.. What a universe! Imagine what the hidden one ‘looks’ like.)

The idea that anything is gonna pop out somewhere else the other side of a wormhole,, taking into the account that you or any matter is literally sliced diced chopped pureed singed and toasted .. it’ll even kill toe fungus and acne.. ;-) Keep on posting these babies!

[NormsRevenge]

[NormsRevenge]

M87: Galactic Super-volcano in Action