Active Galactic Nucleus

Basic Information

An Active Galactic Nucleus (abbreviated AGN) is a region at the center of some galaxies that is highly luminous. Such a nucleus releases huge amounts of electromagnetic radiation, in the radio, infrared, visible spectrum, ultra-violet, X-ray and/or gamma ray wavebands.

It is believed the source of these emissions is that they come from the Accretion Disc of a supermassive blackhole at the center of such galaxies. They project a jet of energy out from the rotational axis of the galaxy. The Hubble Space Telescope has taken photos of energy jets extending over 5,000 light years beyond the Active Galactic Nucleus that produced them.

See Also:

• Radio galaxy
• Quasar
• Blazar
• Seyfert Galaxy
• BL LAC object
• OVV Quasar
• Supermassive black hole
• M-sigma relation
• Relativistic jet

Sources

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia

Game and Story Use

• A Type 3 or Type 4 civilization on the Kardashev Scale might be able to harness the energy emitted from such a galaxy.
• They might build some sort of spacecraft that is propelled by the energy jet of the AGN to reach the escape velocity needed to travel the void between galaxies.