How is energy supplied in the active centers of radio galaxies and quasars? This intriguing question lies at the heart of various overlapping and competing astrophysical theories, including those that propose the existence of a black hole. Now two separate sets of observations—of an apparent supermassive object at the center of galaxy M 87 and of a small narrow radio jet parallel to a much larger jet in NGC 6251—are being welcomed as a chance to test some of these ideas.

Topics
Energy production, transmission and distribution, Galaxies, Active galactic nucleus, Black holes, Educational assessment
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© 1978 American Institute of Physics.
1978
American Institute of Physics
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