The Hubble Space Telescope has been known for a while for capturing vivid spiral galaxy images and recently it has captured a new galaxy illuminated by the "forbidden" light. The galaxy is said to be approximately 275 million light-years away from our home planet and it has been named as MCG-01-24-014.
MCG-01-24-014: About the galaxy
The spiral galaxy named MCG-01-24-014 is said to have an extremely energetic core and is known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN): it has been categorised as a Type-2 Seyfert galaxy- and it has been stated that the mission specialists from Hubble, is managed by both European Space Agency and NASA.
Seyfert galaxies, along with quasars, are said to be the host for the most common subclasses of AGN.
Although the precise categorisation of AGNs is nuanced, Seyfert galaxies tend to be relatively around and their central AGN does not outshine its host. Although quasars are very distant AGNs with incredible luminosities which outshines the host galaxies.
Both quasars and Seyfert galaxies have further added the subclasses. Within Seyfert galaxies, the main subtypes will include Type-1 and Type-2.
Astronomers have differentiated between them by examining their spectra (range of colours), which is the pattern which emerges when the light has been separated within the individual wavelengths.
Type-2 Seyfert galaxies emit spectral lines which are linked to the particular 'forbidden' emission lines. To know why light emitted from a galaxy will be considered 'forbidden, as it is essential to comprehend the fundamental reasons for the existence of spectra.
Spectra further looks at the way they do because some molecules and atoms absorb and emit light at a very specific wavelength.
What is the reason for this quantum physics?
The electrons are the tiny particles which orbit the nuclei of molecules and atoms which can only exist at very specific energies. The electrons will only be able to gain or lose very specific amounts of energy during the process. This very specific energy corresponds to the wavelengths of light which are absorbed or emitted.
The forbidden emission lines should not exist according to certain rules of quantum physics. But quantum physics is complex, and some of the rules used to predict it were formulated under laboratory conditions here on Earth, the team explained.
Following these regulations, this emission has been deemed 'forbidden'—which is an occurrence and it is so unlikely that it is typically dismissed. But, within the vast expanse of space, amid an immensely energetic galactic core, these conventional assumptions no longer apply, granting the 'forbidden' light an opportunity to radiate towards us.
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Inputs from IANS
