619:
their incredible distances from Earth, the regions surrounding these black holes shine so brightly that their appearance is similar to that of stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Some of these objects, known as quasi-stellar-objects or quasars for short, are useful tools to help us better understand the cosmos. Because they lie so far away, there is plenty of intervening space between our telescopes and a target quasar. This space is not empty; it is filled with intergalactic medium, which mostly comprises clouds of gas — mainly hydrogen and helium, but also with hints of other elements — that absorb light from more distant sources and prevent it from reaching us. The light emitted from bright quasars has to travel through these clouds on its journey to us, and so is partly absorbed. This spectrum, taken by the UVES instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large
Telescope in Chile, shows the light from a quasar, catchily named HE0940-1050, after it has travelled through such clouds. The vertical lines are tell-tale signs of absorption — they show where light has been absorbed by the gas in the intergalactic medium and thus removed from the original quasar spectrum. The intensity of the lines is linked to the amount of material which is crossed by the light. By analysing these lines, astronomers can infer all sorts of information about the material from which the clouds are made. The exceptional value of this particular spectrum is in the very faint lines which are the faintest ever observed in a quasar spectrum.
154:
their incredible distances from Earth, the regions surrounding these black holes shine so brightly that their appearance is similar to that of stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Some of these objects, known as quasi-stellar-objects or quasars for short, are useful tools to help us better understand the cosmos. Because they lie so far away, there is plenty of intervening space between our telescopes and a target quasar. This space is not empty; it is filled with intergalactic medium, which mostly comprises clouds of gas — mainly hydrogen and helium, but also with hints of other elements — that absorb light from more distant sources and prevent it from reaching us. The light emitted from bright quasars has to travel through these clouds on its journey to us, and so is partly absorbed. This spectrum, taken by the UVES instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large
Telescope in Chile, shows the light from a quasar, catchily named HE0940-1050, after it has travelled through such clouds. The vertical lines are tell-tale signs of absorption — they show where light has been absorbed by the gas in the intergalactic medium and thus removed from the original quasar spectrum. The intensity of the lines is linked to the amount of material which is crossed by the light. By analysing these lines, astronomers can infer all sorts of information about the material from which the clouds are made. The exceptional value of this particular spectrum is in the very faint lines which are the faintest ever observed in a quasar spectrum.
203:
43:
248:
254:
99:
618:
The most massive galaxies in the
Universe host supermassive black holes at their centres. These truly colossal black holes chew up surrounding material at astonishing rates, expelling huge amounts of radiation as they do so and glowing as some of the brightest objects in the known Universe! Despite
153:
The most massive galaxies in the
Universe host supermassive black holes at their centres. These truly colossal black holes chew up surrounding material at astonishing rates, expelling huge amounts of radiation as they do so and glowing as some of the brightest objects in the known Universe! Despite
511:
224:"Unless specifically noted, the images, videos, and music distributed on the public ESO website, along with the texts of press releases, announcements, pictures of the week, blog posts and captions, are licensed under a
295:– You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
65:
61:
57:
53:
47:
110:
78:
422:
386:
213:
573:
This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it.
370:
442:
406:
353:
576:
If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file.
538:
The following pages on the
English Knowledge (XXG) use this file (pages on other projects are not listed):
264:
510:
505:
228:, and may on a non-exclusive basis be reproduced without fee provided the credit is clear and visible."
69:
42:
261:
237:: You must provide a link (URL) to the original file and the authorship information if available.
118:
202:
163:
521:
105:
560:
219:
585:
ESO Acknowledgements: V. D’Odorico (Osservatorio
Astronomico di Trieste, Italy)
173:
225:
652:
186:
Acknowledgements: V. D’Odorico (Osservatorio
Astronomico di Trieste, Italy)
542:
478:
Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.
93:
201:
337:
Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents
633:
Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
226:
Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
704:
83:(1,280 × 1,121 pixels, file size: 123 KB, MIME type:
137:
117:
Commons is a freely licensed media file repository.
197:
423:Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
98:
247:
8:
686:xmp.did:46adec95-6f71-4f40-a181-411dc93d1216
174:https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1649a/
302:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
278:– to copy, distribute and transmit the work
578:
480:
333:
553:The following other wikis use this file:
730:
697:
689:
681:
673:
665:
657:
647:
639:
630:
625:
615:
610:
601:
596:
588:
580:
540:
456:
440:
420:
404:
384:
368:
351:
348:
329:
322:
143:Fingerprint of the early Universe.jpg
7:
528:User created page with UploadWizard
469:
253:
214:European Southern Observatory (ESO)
571:
342:
336:
269:
244:
147:
130:
76:
604:Fingerprint of the early Universe
341:
308:Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
641:Date and time of data generation
327:
289:Under the following conditions:
260:This file is licensed under the
252:
246:
97:
31:
21:
675:Date metadata was last modified
324:
148:
14:
683:Unique ID of original document
323:
211:This media was created by the
26:
1:
593:European Southern Observatory
265:Attribution 4.0 International
36:
712:Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
349:Items portrayed in this file
667:Date and time of digitizing
752:
557:Usage on uk.wikipedia.org
659:File change date and time
470:
243:
164:5 December 2016, 06:00:00
16:
326:
104:This is a file from the
527:
179:
169:
162:
159:
140:
108:. Information from its
678:19:04, 27 October 2016
670:18:23, 27 October 2016
662:17:04, 27 October 2016
644:06:00, 5 December 2016
506:21:58, 5 December 2016
206:
111:description page there
46:Size of this preview:
205:
717:Garching bei München
220:Their website states
70:1,280 × 1,121 pixels
66:1,169 × 1,024 pixels
699:Contact information
284:– to adapt the work
52:Other resolutions:
705:http://www.eso.org
207:
739:
738:
549:Global file usage
531:
407:copyright license
335:
321:
320:
238:
190:
189:
126:
125:
106:Wikimedia Commons
32:Global file usage
743:
725:
722:
718:
713:
707:
634:
620:
605:
579:
518:
371:copyright status
315:
312:
309:
306:
303:
262:Creative Commons
256:
255:
250:
249:
231:
198:
165:
152:
144:
138:
122:
101:
100:
94:
88:
86:
73:
62:877 × 768 pixels
58:548 × 480 pixels
54:274 × 240 pixels
48:685 × 600 pixels
751:
750:
746:
745:
744:
742:
741:
740:
727:
723:
720:
716:
711:
703:
632:
617:
603:
582:Credit/Provider
567:
547:
539:
532:
524:
516:
472:
471:
468:
467:
466:
465:
464:
463:
462:
461:
459:
458:5 December 2016
449:
448:
447:
445:
434:
433:
432:
431:
430:
429:
428:
427:
425:
413:
412:
411:
409:
398:
397:
396:
395:
394:
393:
392:
391:
389:
377:
376:
375:
373:
362:
361:
360:
359:
358:
356:
340:
339:
338:
317:
316:
313:
310:
307:
304:
301:
300:
268:
257:
239:
234:To the uploader
196:
191:
155:
142:
135:
128:
127:
116:
115:
114:is shown below.
90:
84:
82:
75:
74:
51:
12:
11:
5:
749:
747:
737:
736:
733:
729:
728:
709:
700:
696:
695:
692:
688:
687:
684:
680:
679:
676:
672:
671:
668:
664:
663:
660:
656:
655:
650:
646:
645:
642:
638:
637:
636:
635:
628:
624:
623:
622:
621:
613:
609:
608:
607:
606:
599:
595:
594:
591:
587:
586:
583:
570:
566:
565:
564:
563:
551:
550:
546:
545:
537:
536:
535:
530:
529:
526:
522:
519:
515:1,280 × 1,121
513:
508:
503:
499:
498:
495:
492:
489:
486:
483:
476:
475:
460:
457:
455:
454:
453:
452:
451:
450:
446:
441:
439:
438:
437:
436:
435:
426:
421:
419:
418:
417:
416:
415:
414:
410:
405:
403:
402:
401:
400:
399:
390:
385:
383:
382:
381:
380:
379:
378:
374:
369:
367:
366:
365:
364:
363:
357:
352:
350:
347:
346:
345:
344:
343:
332:
331:
328:
325:
319:
318:
299:
298:
297:
296:
287:
286:
285:
279:
272:You are free:
259:
258:
245:
241:
240:
210:
208:
195:
192:
188:
187:
181:
177:
176:
171:
167:
166:
161:
157:
156:
145:
136:
134:
131:
129:
124:
123:
102:
92:
91:
45:
41:
40:
39:
34:
29:
24:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
748:
734:
731:
726:
714:
708:
706:
701:
698:
693:
690:
685:
682:
677:
674:
669:
666:
661:
658:
654:
651:
649:Software used
648:
643:
640:
631:
629:
626:
616:
614:
611:
602:
600:
597:
592:
589:
584:
581:
577:
574:
568:
562:
559:
558:
556:
555:
554:
548:
544:
541:
533:
525:
520:
514:
512:
509:
507:
504:
501:
500:
496:
493:
490:
487:
484:
482:
481:
479:
473:
444:
424:
408:
388:
372:
355:
294:
291:
290:
288:
283:
280:
277:
274:
273:
271:
270:
266:
263:
251:
242:
236:
235:
230:
229:
227:
221:
218:
216:
215:
209:
204:
200:
199:
193:
185:
182:
178:
175:
172:
168:
158:
151:
146:
139:
132:
120:
113:
112:
107:
103:
96:
95:
89:
80:
79:Original file
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
49:
44:
38:
35:
33:
30:
28:
25:
23:
20:
18:
15:
715:
710:
702:
575:
572:
552:
477:
474:File history
292:
281:
275:
233:
232:
223:
212:
183:
149:
119:You can help
109:
77:
22:File history
732:IIM version
694:HE0940-1050
627:Usage terms
612:Image title
598:Short title
387:copyrighted
293:attribution
141:Description
534:File usage
491:Dimensions
305:CC BY 4.0
85:image/jpeg
27:File usage
653:CINEMA 4D
523:Jmencisom
488:Thumbnail
485:Date/Time
443:inception
194:Licensing
150:English:
691:Keywords
569:Metadata
517:(123 KB)
330:Captions
282:to remix
276:to share
267:license.
37:Metadata
724:Germany
721:D-85748
502:current
497:Comment
354:depicts
334:English
133:Summary
81:
590:Source
561:Квазар
543:Quasar
180:Author
170:Source
719:, ,
494:User
314:true
311:true
184:ESO
160:Date
17:File
222::
68:|
64:|
60:|
56:|
50:.
735:4
217:.
121:.
87:)
72:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
_logo.svg){kind=logo}