Chandra X-ray Image of NGC 1365
A remarkable eclipse of a supermassive black hole and the hot gas disk around it has been observed with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This eclipse, which occurred in the galaxy NGC 1365, has allowed astronomers to test two key predictions about the effects of supermassive black holes.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/CfA/INAF/Risaliti)

ESO VLT Optical Image of NGC 1365
This image of NGC 1365 was taken by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. NGC 1365 is a giant galaxy with a diameter of about 200,000 light years, in the constellation Fornax (The Furnace). It is a major member of the Fornax cluster of galaxies.
(Credit: ESO/VLT)

Illustrations of Black Hole Eclipse
These artist's representations, which are not to scale, explain how a supermassive black hole and the hot gas disk around it are eclipsed. The first illustration shows how light from the bright disk surrounding the black hole can directly reach Chandra. The second illustration demonstrates how this light can be blocked by a dense cloud of gas, which causes only reflected light from the disk to reach Chandra.
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(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)