Sunny Priyan
The lenticular galaxy NGC 5283 is the subject of this Hubble Space Telescope image. NGC 5283 contains an active galactic nucleus, or AGN.
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Barth, & M. Revalski
An AGN is an extremely bright region at the heart of a galaxy where a supermassive black hole exists.
Image Credit: Pixabay
When dust and gas fall into the black hole, the matter heats up and emits light across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Image Credit: Pixabay
NGC 5283 is a Seyfert galaxy. About 10 percent of all galaxies are Seyfert galaxies, and they differ from other galaxies that contain AGNs because the galaxy itself is clearly visible.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Other AGNs emit so much radiation that they outshine or make it impossible to observe the structure of their host galaxy.
Image Credit: Pixabay
This galaxy is observed as part of a survey for a dataset about nearby AGNs, which will serve as a resource for astronomers investigating AGN physics, black holes, host galaxy structure, and more.
Image Credit: Pexels