Observation by Robin Leadbeater: Spectrum of M87 Nucleus

Uploaded by

Robin Leadbeater

Observer

Robin Leadbeater

Observed

2019 Apr 11 - 21:32

Uploaded

2019 Apr 13 - 14:26

Objects

M87
Spectrum

Equipment

Celestron C11 telescope
ALPY 600 spectrograph
ATIK 428 camera

Exposure

100 min

Location

Wigton Cumbria

Target name

M87

Title

Spectrum of M87 Nucleus

About this image

Since M87 has been in the news recently with the radio image of the region immediately surrounding the black hole,

https://aasnova.org/2019/04/10/first-images-of-a-black-hole-from-the-event-horizon-telescope/

I thought I would take a spectrum of this region using the ALPY600. I obviously could not get anywhere near as close in as the radio image but the spectrum of the nucleus (red) shows clear emission lines of H alpha, [N II], [S II] from the material in the region surrounding the black hole, redshifted by ~1300km/s . Note the absence of these emission lines in the spectrum covering a region further out (blue). I have also included a spectrum of this region from the literature taken by the 3.6m TNG telescope in 2008 (orange) which covers the central 2x2 arc sec region from this reference

https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2009/09/aa11102-08/aa11102-08.html

Also for comparison is a K3v stellar reference spectrum,shifted to match the M87 redshift. Note the similarity with the combined starlight from this mature elliptical galaxy.

Files associated with this observation

M87_ALPY600_20190411_summary_0.png (284.1 kB)

Like this image

Peter Mulligan, John Coffin, Miguel Araújo, Ray Emery, Hugh Allen, Andy Wilson, Dr Andrew Smith, Mr Leonard Entwisle, Graham Winstanley, David Basey, Nick James, Steve Knight, Andrew Dumbleton, Dr Paul Leyland, Jeremy Shears, Peter Carson

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