'Hubble finds the unseen': Mysterious blobs spotted near a supermassive black hole
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Blinding Beacon
Quasar 3C 273 shines from 2.5 billion light-years away, powered by a ravenous supermassive black hole at its core.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Brilliance Blocked
Hubble used its spectrograph as a coronagraph, dimming the quasar’s glare to expose what’s been hiding around it.
Ghostly Blobs
Mysterious blobs and a strange L-shaped filament now appear near the core — possible signs of galaxies being devoured.
Galactic Feast
Astronomers believe 3C 273 is cannibalizing satellite galaxies — feeding its quasar fire and reshaping itself in the process.
Credit: NASA
Jet Power
A staggering 300,000-light-year jet spews from its core, outshining entire galaxies and possibly gaining speed over time.
Cosmic Feedback
The quasar’s energy output stirs surrounding gas and dust, influencing how galaxies grow, collapse, or burst into stars.
Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser
Quasar Evolution
No longer seen as isolated lights, quasars are dynamic engines nestled in chaotic, merging galaxies.
Time Capsule
3C 273’s ancient light acts as a cosmic postcard from the early universe, revealing black hole growth across eons.
Representative pic
Webb Awaits
Hubble’s view is just the start — the James Webb Space Telescope will now peer deeper into the dusty secrets quasars hide.