Gamma Cas & Ghost Nebula © Antoine Grelin

What is casting dark shadows across 36,000 light-years of space in this Hubble Space Telescope image?

The mysterious dark rays appearing to emanate from galaxy IC 5063 have intrigued astronomers, and there are a few different ideas about what is causing them. They could be like the shadows of clouds when light from the setting Sun pierces through them.

Astronomers have traced the rays back to the galaxy’s core, the location of an active supermassive black hole. One idea suggests that the shadows are being cast into space by an inner tube-shaped ring, or torus, of dusty material surrounding the black hole.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and W.P. Maksym (CfA).

ALT TEXT: Rust-colored view of space, with a bright, narrow purple region at the center, a galaxy. Background stars and galaxies are scattered sparsely—this is a dusty rather than starry scene. To the upper left of the bright central region are dark dust lanes. Opposite these to the lower right, one dark area extends from the central bright region and splits into two dark rays. Similar dark rays can be seen to the top left, behind the dust lanes. The edges of the entire image are dark, fading from the colored center.

Milky Way Falls, Chile 

Every culture has its own interior styles – and how much they are willing to invest on home décor varies wildly from nation to nation.

But which countries are willing to spend that little bit extra, and which are more frugal?

HouseholdQuotes uncovered the countries that spend the most on home decor: https://householdquotes.co.uk/home-decorating-spend/  

Stardust in Cepheus © RonanHunt88  

Rare Radio Galaxy NGC 612 by NASA Hubble

Wolf-Rayet 124 (NIRCam and MIRI composite image) by europeanspaceagency

NGC 2359 Thor's Helmet ©

Hubble Peers at Peculiar Galactic Pair by NASA Hubble Space Telescope

The Great Barred Spiral Galaxy, NGC 1365 // John murphy

NGC 7293, Helix Nebula