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1
Composite Image of a Blob
This composite image shows one of the brightest objects observed in a study of 29 blobs located in a single field. Glowing hydrogen gas in the blob is shown by a Lyman-alpha optical image (colored yellow) from the Subaru telescope. A galaxy located in the blob is visible in a broadband optical image (white) from the Hubble Space Telescope and an infrared image from the Spitzer Space Telescope (red). Finally, the Chandra X-ray Observatory image (blue) shows evidence for a growing supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. Radiation and outflows from this active black hole are lighting up and heating the gas in the blob.
(Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Durham Univ./D.Alexander et al.); Optical (NASA/ESA/STScI/IoA/S.Chapman et al.); Lyman-alpha Optical (NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.); Infrared (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Durham Univ./J.Geach et al.))
This composite image shows one of the brightest objects observed in a study of 29 blobs located in a single field. Glowing hydrogen gas in the blob is shown by a Lyman-alpha optical image (colored yellow) from the Subaru telescope. A galaxy located in the blob is visible in a broadband optical image (white) from the Hubble Space Telescope and an infrared image from the Spitzer Space Telescope (red). Finally, the Chandra X-ray Observatory image (blue) shows evidence for a growing supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. Radiation and outflows from this active black hole are lighting up and heating the gas in the blob.
(Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Durham Univ./D.Alexander et al.); Optical (NASA/ESA/STScI/IoA/S.Chapman et al.); Lyman-alpha Optical (NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.); Infrared (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Durham Univ./J.Geach et al.))
2
Composite Image of a Second Blob
This composite image shows the 3rd brightest blob observed in a study of 29 objects located in a single field. Glowing hydrogen gas in the blob is shown by a Lyman-alpha optical image (colored yellow) from the Subaru telescope. A galaxy located in the blob is visible in a broadband optical image (white) from the Hubble Space Telescope and an infrared image from the Spitzer Space Telescope (red). Note that overlap between the gas in the blob and the galaxy as seen in infrared makes much of the blob appear orange. Finally, the Chandra X-ray Observatory image (blue) shows evidence for a growing supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. Radiation and outflows from this active black hole are lighting up and heating the gas in the blob.
(Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Durham Univ./D.Alexander et al.); Optical (NASA/ESA/STScI/IoA/S.Chapman et al.); Lyman-alpha Optical (NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.); Infrared (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Durham Univ./J.Geach et al.))
This composite image shows the 3rd brightest blob observed in a study of 29 objects located in a single field. Glowing hydrogen gas in the blob is shown by a Lyman-alpha optical image (colored yellow) from the Subaru telescope. A galaxy located in the blob is visible in a broadband optical image (white) from the Hubble Space Telescope and an infrared image from the Spitzer Space Telescope (red). Note that overlap between the gas in the blob and the galaxy as seen in infrared makes much of the blob appear orange. Finally, the Chandra X-ray Observatory image (blue) shows evidence for a growing supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. Radiation and outflows from this active black hole are lighting up and heating the gas in the blob.
(Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Durham Univ./D.Alexander et al.); Optical (NASA/ESA/STScI/IoA/S.Chapman et al.); Lyman-alpha Optical (NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.); Infrared (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Durham Univ./J.Geach et al.))
3
Illustration of Black Hole Outflows
This is the first of a pair of artist's representations showing what one of the galaxies inside a blob might look like if viewed at a relatively close distance. The spiral arms of the galaxy are seen in yellow and white. A two-sided outflow powered by the supermassive black hole buried inside the middle of the galaxy is shown in bright yellow, above and below the galaxy. This outflow illuminates and heats gas surrounding the galaxy, enabling this blob to be seen across billions of light years. Stars are forming at a rapid rate in this galaxy, and young stars are being destroyed in supernova explosions. The three bright stars above the central bulge of the galaxy are examples of such supernovas. A companion illustration shows the effects of such explosions. Radiation from regions close to the black hole and from massive young stars will also have a significant effect, in lighting up and heating the blob.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
This is the first of a pair of artist's representations showing what one of the galaxies inside a blob might look like if viewed at a relatively close distance. The spiral arms of the galaxy are seen in yellow and white. A two-sided outflow powered by the supermassive black hole buried inside the middle of the galaxy is shown in bright yellow, above and below the galaxy. This outflow illuminates and heats gas surrounding the galaxy, enabling this blob to be seen across billions of light years. Stars are forming at a rapid rate in this galaxy, and young stars are being destroyed in supernova explosions. The three bright stars above the central bulge of the galaxy are examples of such supernovas. A companion illustration shows the effects of such explosions. Radiation from regions close to the black hole and from massive young stars will also have a significant effect, in lighting up and heating the blob.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
4
Illustration of Winds from a Starburst
This is a second of a pair of artist's representations showing what one of the galaxies inside a blob might look like if viewed at a relatively close distance. Repeated supernova explosions and strong mass loss from the stars before they are destroyed will generate powerful winds that expand outwards, illuminating and heating the surrounding gas. A nearby example of such a process is the starburst galaxy M82.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
This is a second of a pair of artist's representations showing what one of the galaxies inside a blob might look like if viewed at a relatively close distance. Repeated supernova explosions and strong mass loss from the stars before they are destroyed will generate powerful winds that expand outwards, illuminating and heating the surrounding gas. A nearby example of such a process is the starburst galaxy M82.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
5
Illustration of a Blob
This artist's representation shows a complete view of the blob, in bright red. Radiation and outflows from the galaxy and its black hole have illuminated and heated an enormous structure of gas. Outlying regions of gas not affected by the galaxy and black hole are shown in dark red.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
This artist's representation shows a complete view of the blob, in bright red. Radiation and outflows from the galaxy and its black hole have illuminated and heated an enormous structure of gas. Outlying regions of gas not affected by the galaxy and black hole are shown in dark red.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
6
Subaru color image of SSA22
This color optical image from the Subaru telescope, operated by the National Astronomy Observatory of Japan, shows the field called SSA22, which contains a protocluster seen at an age of about 2 billion years, about 15% of the age of the Universe. This field contains a large collection of mysterious blobs. These blobs are composed of hydrogen gas, and are several hundred light years across. Chandra and Spitzer observations show that a significant fraction of them contain growing supermassive black holes and galaxies with dramatically high levels of star formation.
(Credit: NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.)
This color optical image from the Subaru telescope, operated by the National Astronomy Observatory of Japan, shows the field called SSA22, which contains a protocluster seen at an age of about 2 billion years, about 15% of the age of the Universe. This field contains a large collection of mysterious blobs. These blobs are composed of hydrogen gas, and are several hundred light years across. Chandra and Spitzer observations show that a significant fraction of them contain growing supermassive black holes and galaxies with dramatically high levels of star formation.
(Credit: NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.)
7
Lyman-alpha image showing blobs
This optical image of the field SSA22 shows Lyman-alpha radiation which isolates huge blobs of hydrogen gas in a protocluster. This light is emitted at ultraviolet wavelengths but because the protocluster is located a great distance away from us, the radiation is shifted into optical wavelengths by the cosmological redshift caused by the expansion of the Universe.
(Credit: NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.)
This optical image of the field SSA22 shows Lyman-alpha radiation which isolates huge blobs of hydrogen gas in a protocluster. This light is emitted at ultraviolet wavelengths but because the protocluster is located a great distance away from us, the radiation is shifted into optical wavelengths by the cosmological redshift caused by the expansion of the Universe.
(Credit: NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.)
8
Optical image with protocluster location
An optical image from the Subaru telescope of the SSA22 field is shown here, along with a map in purple showing the density of the protocluster in this field.
(Credit: NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.)
An optical image from the Subaru telescope of the SSA22 field is shown here, along with a map in purple showing the density of the protocluster in this field.
(Credit: NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.)
9
Lyman Alpha Blobs with Scale Bar
(Credit: Left panel: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Durham Univ./D.Alexander et al.); Optical (NASA/ESA/STScI/IoA/S.Chapman et al.); Lyman-alpha Optical (NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.); Infrared (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Durham Univ./J.Geach et al.); Right, Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
(Credit: Left panel: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Durham Univ./D.Alexander et al.); Optical (NASA/ESA/STScI/IoA/S.Chapman et al.); Lyman-alpha Optical (NAOJ/Subaru/Tohoku Univ./T.Hayashino et al.); Infrared (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Durham Univ./J.Geach et al.); Right, Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
Lyman Alpha Blobs (June 24, 2009)
Revised: November 30, 2022