The color contours at center show the warm dust emission at the nucleus of NGC 3079. The black line contours overlaying the color contours show the newly detected H2O maser emission. (Photo by E. Humphreys) |
New maser measurements trace detail in active galactic coreThe roiling cores of many active galaxies are difficult to see in detail because of surrounding gas and interstellar dust. Smithsonian astronomers announced Jan. 12, 2006, however, a first-time measurement that may help to better trace the structure of these unusual regions. Elizabeth M. L. Humphreys and other Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) research team members presented the first detection at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths of extragalactic water maser emission in the core of active galaxy NGC 3079 in their paper at the 207th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D. C. |
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