Disk around a Black Hole in Galaxy NGC 7052
Depicts: NGC 7052, IRAS 21163+2613
Copyright: Roeland P. van der Marel (STScI), Frank C. van den Bosch (Univ. of Washington), and NASA
The disk, possibly a remnant of an ancient galaxy collision, will be swallowed up by the black hole in several billion years.
Because the front end of the disk eclipses more stars than the back, it appears darker. Also, because dust absorbs blue light more effectively than red light, the disk is redder than the rest of the galaxy (this same phenomenon causes the Sun to appear red when it sets in a smoggy afternoon).
Last Update: 1 September 2019
