Page 105 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Space

Dark lanes of dust crisscross the
giant elliptical radio galaxy
Centaurus A

7 Inactive galaxy
Radiation When there is no more matter left to
Some particles within feet the black hole, the jets and
the accretion disk accretion disk fade.
become hot enough to
emit X-rays.

6 Shining core
As gas and dust collide
towards the centre of the
accretion disk, friction
causes it to heat up and
shine brightly.

Heating up
The temperature
towards the centre of
the accretion disk
can reach 100 million
degrees Celsius (180
million degrees
Fahrenheit).

8 Reactivation
If more matter moves
into its vicinity, the
black hole can begin
feeding and become
active once again.
5 Fuel supply
More gas and dust
is pulled into the
accretion disk to
keep powering © Sol90
the jets.

How It Works 105