{"id":795946,"date":"2025-05-07T07:43:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T12:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=795946"},"modified":"2025-05-07T07:43:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T12:43:05","slug":"is-a-mammoth-black-hole-lurking-in-this-nearby-galaxy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=795946","title":{"rendered":"Is a mammoth black hole lurking in this nearby galaxy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pan of M83 (MIRI image)\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Bblt8ScOJkU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/><em>Explore spiral galaxy Messier 83 through Webb\u2019s infrared eyes. The James Webb Space Telescope has found new evidence of a supermassive black hole in the heart of this galaxy. Video via ESA\/ Webb\/ NASA\/ CSA\/ A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the FEAST JWST team\/ N. Bartmann (ESA\/ Webb).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Science matters. Wonder matters. You matter.<\/strong><br \/>Join our 2025 Donation Campaign today.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Supermassive black holes are common in the centers of galaxies.<\/strong> Even our own Milky Way has one.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The nearby galaxy Messier 83<\/strong> was also suspected of having one, but astronomers hadn\u2019t been able to confirm it. Was it obscured by dust?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Now, NASA\u2019s Webb space telescope has detected highly ionized gas<\/strong> in the heart of Messier 83. A supermassive black hole is the most likely explanation, astronomers say.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Is a mammoth black hole lurking nearby?<\/h3>\n<p>Supermassive black holes are common in the centers of galaxies. Even our own Milky Way has one. Astronomers suspected a supermassive black hole resided in the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 83 \u2013 the Southern Pinwheel galaxy \u2013 but confirmation has been difficult. Now it seems the long-sought black hole might have finally been found. An international team of astronomers said on April 17, 2025, that NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope found the signature of an active galactic nucleus, a sign of where a black hole could be growing.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers published their peer-reviewed findings in <em>The Astrophysical Journal<\/em> on April 17, 2025.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:p5h5ai6lj6bc53b7mmvy3rf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lmyomedsqk2b\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreiefo5ay52rq37p6tj7p3q6kbfpyi3fw6iqozf3fbhpmxxhnpt5gnu\">\n<p lang=\"en\">???? The MIRI instrument on the NASA\/ESA\/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has detected hints of a hidden supermassive black hole in the heart of M83!Read more ? www.esa.int\/Science_Expl\u2026? ?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ESA Space Science (@science.esa.int) 2025-04-17T08:25:23.392Z<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Does Messier 83 have a supermassive black hole?<\/h3>\n<p>Astronomers have found that many huge spiral galaxies have supermassive black holes in their centers. Supermassive black holes are larger than other black holes, with masses millions or even billions of times that of the sun. These black holes live in the active galactic nuclei at the core of large galaxies. But somehow the detection of a supermassive black hole in the giant spiral Messier 83 had eluded astronomers. Was it obscured by dust? <\/p>\n<p>But now Webb has found compelling evidence that there <em>is<\/em> a supermassive black hole in the galaxy after all. Webb detected a highly ionized neon emission from the nucleus of Messier 83. This implies there is an active galactic nucleus \u2013 an active supermassive black hole \u2013 in the center of the galaxy.<\/p>\n<p>Svea Hernandez, with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), is the lead author of the new study. She explained:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Our discovery of highly ionized neon emission in the nucleus of M83 was unexpected. These signatures require large amounts of energy to be produced, more than what normal stars can generate. This strongly suggests the presence of an active galactic nucleus that has been elusive until now.<\/p>\n<p>Before Webb, we simply did not have the tools to detect such faint and highly ionized gas signatures in M83\u2019s nucleus. Now, with its incredible mid-infrared sensitivity, we are finally able to explore these hidden depths of the galaxy and uncover what was once invisible.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_509720\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-509720\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-509720\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Svea Hernandez at the European Space Agency (ESA), the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is the lead author of the new study about the supermassive black hole in Messier 83. Image via Svea Hernandez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Peering through the dust<\/h3>\n<p>So, how did Webb find the probable black hole when previous observations didn\u2019t? Webb used its Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) to peer through the thick dust obscuring the central region of Messier 83. It found highly ionized gas near the galactic center.<\/p>\n<p>Why is that significant? It takes a <em>lot<\/em> of energy to create such ionized gas. The ionization process is where an atom or molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing electrons.<\/p>\n<p>Supernovae or other stellar processes are unlikely to be able to create this ionized gas. Another possibility, however, is extreme shockwaves in the interstellar medium, the space between stars.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_509791\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-509791\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-galaxy-Hubble-Space-Telescope-January-9-2014.jpeg\" alt=\"Black hole: Large spiral galaxy in space with curving arms of dust in magentas and blues.\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" class=\"size-full wp-image-509791\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-galaxy-Hubble-Space-Telescope-January-9-2014.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-galaxy-Hubble-Space-Telescope-January-9-2014-300x195.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-galaxy-Hubble-Space-Telescope-January-9-2014-768x498.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-509791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View larger. | The Hubble Space Telescope\u2019s view of Messier 83 from January 9, 2014. Image via NASA\/ Hubble Mission Team.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_509715\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-509715\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-MIRI-Webb-March-11-2023-1.jpg\" alt=\"Long spiraling tendrils of reddish dust in space, with a bright area in the center.\" width=\"800\" height=\"258\" class=\"size-full wp-image-509715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-MIRI-Webb-March-11-2023-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-MIRI-Webb-March-11-2023-1-300x97.jpg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-MIRI-Webb-March-11-2023-1-768x248.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-509715\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View larger. | Webb captured this detailed view of the heart of the spiral galaxy Messier 83 using its MIRI instrument. Image via ESA\/ Webb\/ NASA\/ CSA\/ A. Adamo (Stockholm University)\/ FEAST JWST team (CC BY-SA 3.0).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_509718\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-509718\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-NIRCam-Webb-March-11-2023.jpg\" alt=\"Tendrils of reddish dust in space, with bluish dust around them and a bright area in the center.\" width=\"800\" height=\"258\" class=\"size-full wp-image-509718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-NIRCam-Webb-March-11-2023.jpg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-NIRCam-Webb-March-11-2023-300x97.jpg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/05\/Messier-83-NIRCam-Webb-March-11-2023-768x248.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-509718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View larger. | Webb captured this detailed view of the heart of the spiral galaxy Messier 83 using its NIRCam instrument. Image via ESA\/ Webb\/ NASA\/ CSA\/ A. Adamo (Stockholm University)\/ FEAST JWST team (CC BY-SA 3.0).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>A compelling clue<\/h3>\n<p>It appears that Webb might have been able to finally find the elusive black hole in Messier 83. It\u2019s not quite proof yet, but it is compelling, as co-author Linda Smith of the Space Telescope Science Institute said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Webb is revolutionizing our understanding of galaxies. For years, astronomers have searched for a black hole in M83 without success. Now, we finally have a compelling clue that suggests one may be present.<\/p>\n<p>This discovery showcases how Webb is making unexpected breakthroughs. Astronomers thought they had ruled out an active galactic nucleus in M83, but now we have fresh evidence that challenges past assumptions and opens new avenues for exploration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Bottom line: Does the nearby galaxy Messier 83 have a supermassive black hole in its heart? NASA\u2019s Webb space telescope has found tantalizing new clues that suggest it does.<\/p>\n<p>Source: JWST\/MIRI Detection of [Ne v] and [Ne vi] in M83: Evidence for the Long Sought-after Active Galactic Nucleus?<\/p>\n<p>Via European Space Agency<\/p>\n<p>Read more: Little Red Dots might indicate ancient, growing black holes<\/p>\n<p>Read more: Galaxies: Are they different from each other?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"cp-load-after-post\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"post-author\">\n<h4>Paul Scott Anderson<\/h4>\n<p>                    View Articles\n                  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-tags\">\n<h6 data-udy-fe=\"text_7c58270d\">About the Author:<\/h6>\n<p>Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan\u2019s Cosmos. He studied English, writing, art and computer\/publication design in high school and college. He later started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was later renamed Planetaria. He also later started the blog Fermi Paradoxica, about the search for life elsewhere in the universe.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nWhile interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science and SETI. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis with Universe Today. He has also written for SpaceFlight Insider and AmericaSpace and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly. He also did some supplementary writing for the iOS app Exoplanet.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nHe has been writing for EarthSky since 2018, and also assists with proofing and social media.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/black-hole-messier-83-spiral-galaxy-webb-space-telescope\/?rand=772280\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore spiral galaxy Messier 83 through Webb\u2019s infrared eyes. The James Webb Space Telescope has found new evidence of a supermassive black hole in the heart of this galaxy. Video&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":795947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-795946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-sky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=795946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/795947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=795946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=795946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=795946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}