This artist illustration shows the thick ring of dust that can obscure the energetic processes that occur near the supermassive black hole of an active galactic nuclei. Researchers have found that the dust surrounding active, ravenous black holes is much more compact than previously thought.
This artist illustration shows the thick ring of dust that can obscure the energetic processes that occur near the supermassive black hole of an active galactic nuclei.
Researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio, using observations from NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), found that the dust surrounding active, ravenous black holes is much more compact than previously thought.
More: SOFIA Finds Cool Dust Around Energetic Active Black Holes
Image Credit: NASA/SOFIA/Lynette Cook