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The Hubble telescope has taken a snapshot
of a nearby active galaxy known as Circinus. This active galaxy belongs
to a class of mostly spiral galaxies called Seyferts, which have compact
centers and are believed to contain massive black holes. Seyfert galaxies
are themselves part of a larger class of objects called Active Galactic
Nuclei or AGN. AGN have the ability to remove gas from the centers of
their galaxies by blowing it out into space at phenomenal speeds. Astronomers
studying the Circinus galaxy are seeing evidence of a powerful AGN at
its center.
Photographs and astronomical descriptions courtesy of NASA and AURA/STScI
Tales of the Immortal Night ©2003, J.J. Kuhl
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