Supermassive black hole triggers blazing ring of star formation around galactic core

Some 3.9 billion years ago in the heart of a distant galaxy, the intense tidal pull of a monster black hole shredded a star that passed too close. After X-rays produced in this event first reached Earth on 28 March 2011, scientists concluded that the outburst, now known as Swift J1644+57, also represented the sudden flare-up of a previously inactive black hole.

The collection of rocky planets orbiting distant stars has just grown by one, and the latest discovery is the most intriguing yet. Known as GJ 1132b, the newfound world lies just 39 light-years away. Although hot as an oven, the 9,200 mile-wide planet is cool enough to potentially host an atmosphere. If it does, we could study that atmosphere in detail with the Hubble Space Telescope and future observatories like the Giant Magellan Telescope.

In this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image we see the striking face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6814, whose luminous nucleus and spectacular sweeping arms are rippled with an intricate pattern of dark dust. The galaxy was discovered by William Herschel in 1788. NGC 6814 lies 74.4 million light-years away in the constellation of Aquila.