A growing black hole, called a quasar, can be seen at the center of a faraway galaxy in this artist's concept. Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes discovered swarms of similar quasars hiding in dusty galaxies in the distant universe.
The quasar is the orange object at the center of the large, irregular-shaped galaxy. It consists of a dusty, doughnut-shaped cloud of gas and dust that feeds a central supermassive black hole. As the black hole feeds, the gas and dust heat up and spray out X-rays, as illustrated by the white rays. Beyond the quasar, stars can be seen forming in clumps throughout the galaxy. Other similar galaxies hosting quasars are visible in the background.
NASA
<p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10093">http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10093</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/202410main_PIA10093_full.jpg">[1]</a>
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