AGN Feedback in Markarian 573
- Visualizations by:
- Scott Wiessinger
- Produced by:
- Scott Wiessinger
- View full credits

This composite view of the active galaxy Markarian 573 combines X-ray data (blue) from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio observations (purple) from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico with a visible light image (gold) from the Hubble Space Telescope. Markarian 573 is an active galaxy that has two cones of emission streaming away from the supermassive black hole at its center. Several lines of evidence suggest that in active galaxies, a wide, thick ring of cool gas and dust, called a torus, blocks some of the radiation emitted by matter falling into their central supermassive black holes. What astronomers see depends on how the torus is angled toward Earth.
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/A.Paggi et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA
For more information, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/chandra/news/archives_come_to_life.html

This illustration shows how the AGN feedback process works in Markarian 573. Gas throughout the disk of the galaxy initially rotates in the disk’s plane. Once the AGN turns on, gas in the spiral arms pass through cones of radiation emitted by the supermassive black hole and become ionized. Gas located less than about 2,500 light-years from the AGN is accelerated away, forming fast-moving outflows (darker red and blue arrows). Gas located at larger distances becomes ionized but remains within the galaxy.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Theophilus Britt Griswold
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, but credit individual content as indicated.
Animator
- Scott Wiessinger (KBRwyle) [Lead]
Science writer
- Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Scientist
- Travis C. Fischer (USRA)
Producer
- Scott Wiessinger (KBRwyle) [Lead]