Abell 2597 Illustration (IMAGE)

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Abell 2597 Illustration

Caption

Deep in the heart of the Abell 2597 Brightest Cluster Galaxy, astronomers see a small cluster of giant gas clouds raining in on the central black hole. They were revealed by the billion light-year-long shadows they cast toward Earth. These ALMA data present the first observational evidence for predicted "chaotic, cold" accretion on a supermassive black hole.

Credit

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; D. Berry / SkyWorks; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

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