Hubble Space Telescope image of nearby Galaxy IC 6306363. A collection of compressed bright rays and dark shadows outside the obscure luminous center of an active galaxy can be seen shooting at least 36,000 light years ago. IC 5063 resides in 156 million light-years from Earth. Credit: NASA, ESA, and WP McCassim (CFA)
Some of the most spectacular scenes in our sky occur at sunset, when sunlight pierces the clouds, creating a mixture of bright and dark rays created by the shadows of the clouds and creating beams of light scattered through the atmosphere. Nearby Galaxy IC 63063. Astronomers studying the new image of have been tantalized with a similar effect NASA/ ESA Hubble Space Telescope. In this case, a collection of compressed bright rays and dark shadows outside the obscure luminous center of the active galaxy is seen in the shooting during at least 36,000 light-years.
Astronomers have discovered a string of rays at the core of the galaxy, the location of an active supermassive Black hole. The black hole is feeding the inflating material, producing a powerful gust of light from the superheated gas near it. Although researchers have developed several plausible theories for the light show, a very interesting idea suggests that space is being placed in space through an inner tube-shaped ring or torus of dusty material around a black hole.
IC 5063 resides in 156 million light-years from Earth.
