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active galaxy

British  

noun

  1. Also called: active galactic nucleus.  a galaxy that emits usually large amounts of energy from a very compact central source, such as Seyfert galaxies, radio galaxies, and quasars

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

active galaxy Scientific  
  1. A galaxy emitting unusually high quantities of radiation from an active galactic nucleus at its center. Some active galaxies emit more energy in radio wavelengths than they do visible light. Seyfert galaxies are examples of active galaxies.

  2. See more at galactic nucleus


Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

Blazars are a type of active galaxy powered by supermassive black holes that shoot out powerful, narrow jets of particles and radiation at nearly the speed of light.

From Science Daily Nov. 7, 2025

OJ 287 is classified as a blazar, a type of active galaxy known for its intense energy and brightness.

From Science Daily Oct. 14, 2025

The detection of neutrinos ostensibly coming from this active galaxy is a big deal.

From Scientific American Dec. 20, 2022

“Where exactly in the active galaxy, the neutrinos are produced will be a matter of debate,” he added in an email.

From New York Times Jul. 12, 2018

What X-ray observations tell us about the mechanism that powers the active galaxy M87.

From Textbooks Oct. 13, 2016

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