Explanation:
Enigmatic spiral galaxy NGC 1097 lies about
45 million light-years away in the southern constellation
Fornax.
The small companion galaxy, just below and left of center, that seems
to be wrapped in its spiral arms, is not
NGC 1097's
most peculiar feature though.
Instead, This very deep exposure shows hints of faint,
mysterious
jets, most easily seen to extend well beyond the bright arms toward
the lower right.
In fact, four faint jets are ultimately
recognized
in optical images of NGC 1097.
The jets
trace an X centered on the galaxy's nucleus, but could be
fossil trails left over from the
capture of a much smaller galaxy in the large spiral's ancient past.
A Seyfert galaxy,
NGC 1097's nucleus also harbors a
massive black
hole.
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