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ikenbot: Black Hole Powered Jets Plow Into Galaxy This composite image of a galaxy illustrates how the intense gravity of a supermassive black hole can be tapped to generate immense power. The image contains X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue), optical light obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (gold) and radio waves from the NSF’s Very Large Array (pink). This multi-wavelength view shows 4C+29.30, a galaxy located some 850 million light years from Earth. The radio emission comes from two jets of particles that are speeding at millions of miles per hour away from a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. The estimated mass of the black hole is about 100 million times the mass of our Sun. The ends of the jets show larger areas of radio emission located outside the galaxy. The X-ray data show a different aspect of this galaxy, tracing the location of hot gas. The bright X-rays in the center of the image mark a pool of million-degree gas around the black hole. Some of this material may eventually be consumed by the black hole, and the magnetized, whirlpool of gas near the black hole could in turn, trigger more output to the radio jet. Most of the low-energy X-rays from the vicinity of the black hole are absorbed by dust and gas, probably in the shape of a giant doughnut around the black hole. This doughnut, or torus blocks all the optical light produced near the black hole, so astronomers refer to this type of source as a hidden or buried black hole. The optical light seen in the image is from the stars in the galaxy.
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Black Hole Powered Jets Plow Into Galaxy

This composite image of a galaxy illustrates how the intense gravity of a supermassive black hole can be tapped to generate immense power. The image contains X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue), optical light obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (gold) and radio waves from the NSF’s Very Large Array (pink).

This multi-wavelength view shows 4C+29.30, a galaxy located some 850 million light years from Earth. The radio emission comes from two jets of particles that are speeding at millions of miles per hour away from a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. The estimated mass of the black hole is about 100 million times the mass of our Sun. The ends of the jets show larger areas of radio emission located outside the galaxy.

The X-ray data show a different aspect of this galaxy, tracing the location of hot gas. The bright X-rays in the center of the image mark a pool of million-degree gas around the black hole. Some of this material may eventually be consumed by the black hole, and the magnetized, whirlpool of gas near the black hole could in turn, trigger more output to the radio jet.

Most of the low-energy X-rays from the vicinity of the black hole are absorbed by dust and gas, probably in the shape of a giant doughnut around the black hole. This doughnut, or torus blocks all the optical light produced near the black hole, so astronomers refer to this type of source as a hidden or buried black hole. The optical light seen in the image is from the stars in the galaxy.

Watery Grave

It was a torrential downpour taking place outside, a continuity that spanned over the last three days with no signs of slowing down. Everyone else was huddled up in the living room watching the news, or whatever was left of it. Some of the anchors had simply disappeared from the set while others chose to stay behind. Why, I wondered, if everything was turned to shit? Wouldn’t it be better to get out while you still had a chance? But then I realized that maybe they felt the same way I did. Maybe they, too, realized that there wasn’t anywhere else to go.

Things got a bit blurry, perception going up and down, fast and slow, like being played with a remote control. People disappearing out of the living room one by one; some soundlessly arguing with each other while others ran out into the downpour and vanishing altogether. No sounds from anything happening inside the house — all I could hear was the sound of rain.

I suddenly appeared out in the downpour, in the backyard of the house, with my Mom. I looked down to the ground and saw that we both stood in green grass that, surprisingly enough, wasn’t even flooded with water. There was a vast mountain range that appeared in the background, too, as the rain and thick fog began to dissipate all of a sudden. Sound was returning but things got so still … as if everything were paused.

I turned and look to my Mom, who was crying. I didn’t say anything. No point in telling lies for comfort. The truth was best.

So in the stillness, I looked back to that far edge of the sky … where the mountaintops seemed to tickle the belly of cloud. In the stillness I began to hear a deep rushing sound as I saw a staggering amount of water gushing over the mountains. At first it started off slowly but then it began to pick up, to increase. I could feel the strength of the waves as the ground beneath me began to tremble. The glass in the house was audible now, people beginning to scream.

I gave my Mom a hug and told her goodbye, then I began to walk in the direction of the water. Winds picked up and got stronger, the trembling in the earth more violent.

I couldn’t see the mountains anymore … I could only see water.

A wall of water so high, so black, so dementing … that it literally brought my heart to a stop.

And then I didn’t have to suffer anymore.

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