X-ray & Optical Images of NGC 5195
Using Chandra observations, astronomers have discovered one of the nearest supermassive black holes to Earth that is currently undergoing powerful outbursts. These images show the galaxy M51 and its smaller component NGC 5195. In the close-up, a pair of arcs can be seen in the Chandra data and is evidence for outbursts from the supermassive black hole at the center of NGC 5195. Such outbursts are important in the evolution of the black hole and the galaxy it inhabits.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Texas/E.Schlegel et al; Optical: NASA/STScI)