Dissecting Supermassive Black Holes: Converting Fuel

Supermassive black holes feast upon the swirling disks of gas and dust that orbit them, creating light we can observe. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s high-resolution infrared data will reveal what this activity, which is driven by gravity, leads to.

There is still so much to learn: How does this light, which spreads like a halo from the galaxy’s core, impact the galaxy around it? How are bipolar jets, which can double the amount of light they emit within a few hours, launched? Learn how Webb’s investigations will yield new clues for researchers.

Explore our image collection to find more infographics in this series, including "Pinpointing the Flows," "Conditions for Star Formation," and "The Feedback Loop," and the complete “Dissecting Supermassive Black Holes” infographic available to admire, print, and post on your wall!