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Quasar Host Galaxy Markarian 231
This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a bright starlike glow in the center of the interacting galaxy Markarian 231, the nearest quasar to Earth. Located 581 million light-years away, we are seeing the galaxy as it looked before multicelled life first appeared on Earth. Quasars are powered by a central black hole that heats the gas around it to unleash tremendous amounts of energy. Hubble spectroscopic observations infer the presence of two supermassive black holes whirling around each other. Because such a dynamic duo is found in the nearest quasar, it would imply that many quasars host binary-black-hole systems. It would be a natural result of a galaxy merger.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.12h 56m 14.23s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.56° 52' 25.24"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Ursa Major
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.581 million light-years (178 million parsecs)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.The Hubble image was created using HST data from proposal 10592: A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University). The galaxy pair was imaged with the ACS/WFC instrument with filters F435W (B) and F814W (I) on May 10, 2002. The science team comprises: C.-S. Yan and Y. Lu (National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing), X. Dai (University of Oklahoma), and Q. Yu (Peking University). Several Hubble archival spectral observations of Mrk 231 were used in these science findings: Proposal 3270: PI: R. Angel (U. Arizona) Proposal 6799: PI: D. Turnshek (U. Pittsburgh) Proposal 12569: PI: S. Veilleux (U. Maryland) - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>FOS, and HST>COS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.November 27, 1992, November 21, 1996, and October 15, 2011
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.Gratings: G190/270H, G160L, and G130M
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Markarian 231, Mrk 231, UGC 8058, VII Zw 490, QSO B1254+571
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Quasar with a Binary Black Hole
- Release DateAugust 27, 2015
- Science ReleaseHubble Finds That the Nearest Quasar Is Powered by a Double Black Hole
- Credit
Related Images & Videos
Artist's View of a Binary Black Hole
This artistic illustration is of a binary black hole found in the center of the nearest quasar host galaxy to Earth, Markarian 231. Like a pair of whirling skaters, the black-hole duo generates tremendous amounts of energy that makes the core of the host galaxy outshine the glow...
Optical-to-Ultraviolet Spectrum of Markarian 231
This simplified spectral plot shows the radiation emitted from the center of a nearby galaxy that hosts a quasar. Visible and infrared light coming from a disk surrounding a central black hole in the middle of the galaxy is measured. Surprisingly, ultraviolet light from the...
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
