Active Galactic Nucleus

Griatch · **Posted:** Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:19 pm **(#1)**

(click for big DA version)

This is a conceptual image of an AGN - an Active Galactic Nucleus, the most luminous type of object in the universe. They only existed when the universe was young and their light has traveled for billions of years to reach us. Their immense radiation are most likely coming from the friction created by disks of rotating matter spiraling into the the supermassive black hole in the center of ancient galaxies. The center of these galaxies shine thousands of times brighter than our entire Milky Way galaxy. Due to the conservation of momentum, giant jets are ejected from the poles of the object.

Noone really knows how an AGN actually looks for real (they are so distant that even our most powerful telescope cannot distinguish any features of them). So this is (of course) just my artist's impression. In my take there is also a smaller galaxy gradually merging with the larger galaxy. I did this for an astronomer colleague of mine who is working on these type of objects. As such I release this under a Creative Commons license.

Krita, with a touch of GIMP, a few hours.
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Griatch

molly · **Joined:** Apr 07, 2010 **Posts:** 14182

Stunning Griatch

Erisian · **Posted:** Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:22 pm **(#3)**

Lovely work as always

The Warrior · **Joined:** Jun 02, 2013 **Posts:** 2075

Looks awesome.

Carlos Diniz · **Joined:** Jan 20, 2013 **Posts:** 591

Griatch, I have a real fascination for galactic immensities.
When I'm bored with everyday problems, I think the vastness of the universe and my problems become insignificant.
Your pictorial representation of the Active Galactic Nucleus will help me better represent this immensity that Pascal thought so silent.

himppu · **Joined:** Jan 25, 2014 **Posts:** 78

Oh, so fascinating work.

lylejk · **Joined:** Sep 24, 2010 **Posts:** 12536

Definitely wow stuff Griatch; being both artist and astronomy, it does help us visualize what you know in your head is true. Thanks for sharing your work on this matter.

ofnuts · **Joined:** Oct 25, 2010 **Posts:** 4758

I feel my skin grilling from the blaze. Great stuff.

Mokonafan · **Posted:** Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:50 pm **(#9)**

Lovely space scene.

sallyanne · **Posted:** Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:22 pm **(#10)**

Speechless. :!:

Thanks for sharing

Griatch · **Posted:** Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:14 pm **(#11)**

Thanks for the comments everyone!

There is a (small) chance that this image will appear on the front page of Nature (their Physics edition), would be fun if it did!

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Griatch

2-ton · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:29 pm **(#12)**

Good timing to see your picture, I am in an astronomy and evolutionary mood as the new Cosmos series, now hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, just started. I loved the old Carl Sagan series, and this one looks to be just as good.