Zoom in on the black hole next door (Video)

The Hubble never ceases to amaze me with the wonders it shows me! I just finished reading another fascinating article on this amazing piece of technology.

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the best view yet of the Andromeda Galaxy's nucleus — which is actually a double nucleus, thanks to the galaxy's supermassive black hole.

Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way, and the only galaxy outside our own that's visible to the naked eye. But it's not easy to see what's going on at the bright center of the spiral. Astronomer Tod Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory put together several exposures in blue and ultraviolet wavelengths from Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys to produce this ultra-sharp view.

Link to Full Size Image

The inset photograph tells the story: The black hole itself can't be seen, but it's near the center of a compact cluster of blue stars at the center of the inset. That cluster is surrounded by the double nucleus, an elliptical ring of older reddish stars in orbit around the black hole.

Watch all the way to the end of the video! (only 00:27)



Original Source

Nasa Source

"Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way, and the only galaxy outside our own that's visible to the naked eye."

Surprised by this claim; besides the obvious exceptions of the Magellanic Clouds, the Triangulum Galaxy can be seen with the naked eye under good conditions making it the most distant object that can be seen without aid.

Amazing pictures though, the high resolution zoom was especially impressive!

Originally posted by dimethylmercury
"Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way, and the only galaxy outside our own that's visible to the naked eye."

Surprised by this claim; besides the obvious exceptions of the Magellanic Clouds, the Triangulum Galaxy can be seen with the naked eye under good conditions making it the most distant object that can be seen without aid.

Amazing pictures though, the high resolution zoom was especially impressive!

Do you live out away from a city? I can't ever tell what I'm looking at with a naked eye from where I am. Sorta sad really...I should get out of the city more.

They really need to zoom in farther.