About Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN):
- An AGN is an extremely bright central region of a galaxy that is dominated by the light emitted by dust and gas as it falls into a black hole.
- The extremely luminous central region emits higher radiation that can outshine the rest of the galaxy altogether.
- AGNs emit radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays.
- This radiation is produced by the action of a central supermassive black hole that is devouring material that gets too close to it.
- A galaxy hosting an AGN is called an ‘active galaxy’.
- AGNs are the most luminous, persistent sources of electromagnetic radiation in the Universe. This means they can be used to discover distant objects.
- Astronomers have also classified different types of AGN based on their observed characteristics.
- The most powerful AGNs are known as quasars, which give rise to extremely luminous galactic centres.
- A blazar is an AGN with a jet of light and energy that is pointed toward the Earth.
