The Hubble telescope detects a superb and unclassifiable celestial object
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Celestial body Z 229-15 has the characteristic twin arms of a spiral galaxy with a compact, highly bright core typical of an active galactic core. ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Barth, R. MushotzkyThe Hubble telescope has detected an unclassifiable celestial object: Z 229-15
The Hubble telescope has detected Z 229-15, a celestial object that looks like a spiral galaxy, but it is much more…
This photo taken by the Hubble telescope was elected image of the week by the European Space Agency (Esa). But beyond its undeniable beauty, this celestial object registered Z 229-15 is also quite enigmatic. Indeed, although it has all the traits of a spiral galaxy , it fits several other definitions. Esa explains that Z 229-15 has characteristics that may define it as both an active galactic nucleus (AGN), a quasar or a Seyfert galaxy.
The celestial body captured by the Hubble telescope has a compact core whose very high brightness comes from the accretion disk of the supermassive black hole that is there. These are the characteristics of an AGN. To qualify as a quasar , Z 229-15 must not only shine brightly, but also be very far from Earth. Located 390 million light-years away in the constellation Lyra , it ticks that box. If Z 229-15 were only a quasar, its brightness would make it impossible to distinguish the stars that populate this galaxy. However, this is not the case and this is what makes it possible to also classify it as a Seyfert galaxy .
“Z 229-15 is therefore a Seyfert galaxy which contains a quasar and which, by definition, hosts an AGN ”, notes Esa. " Which of these designations is really Z 229-15?" The answer is that it is all of the above, because these three definitions largely overlap ,” concludes the European Space Agency.
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