Black holes are among the most extreme objects in the universe. They are regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape once it crosses a certain boundary. By their nature, black holes themselves cannot be seen directly. What astronomers observe instead is the matter around them.
In the centers of many galaxies, including our own Milky Way, lie supermassive black holes with masses millions or even billions of times greater than the Sun. These objects are often surrounded by vast disks of gas and dust. As this material spirals inward, it heats up to enormous temperatures and begins to glow brightly, releasing large amounts of energy.
This glowing structure is known as an accretion disk.
Using new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have been able to study these disks in unprecedented detail. Webb’s infrared instruments allow scientists to see through dense clouds of dust and map the structure of the gas as it moves under the influence of extreme gravity.
The new data reveal the shape, temperature, and motion of matter orbiting just outside the black hole’s event horizon. They show how gas is drawn inward, how it accelerates to incredible speeds, and how enormous amounts of energy are released before the material finally disappears from view.
These observations help answer some of the most important questions in modern astrophysics.
How do black holes grow over time? How do they interact with their host galaxies? How does the energy they release affect the formation of stars and the evolution of entire galactic systems?
In many galaxies, the central black hole plays a key role in regulating star formation. When large amounts of gas fall into the black hole, powerful jets and radiation can heat surrounding regions and slow down the birth of new stars. In this way, black holes are not just passive objects. They actively shape the galaxies around them.
The new observations provide a clearer picture of this process. They allow astronomers to test theoretical models and improve simulations of how black holes and galaxies evolve together over billions of years.
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