X-ray & Optical Images of RX J1131-1231
Multiple images of a distant quasar known as RX J1131-1231 are visible in this data from Chandra and Hubble. The Chandra data, along with data from ESA's XMM-Newton, were used to directly measure the spin of the supermassive black hole powering this quasar. Black holes are defined by just two simple characteristics: mass and spin. At a distance of 6 billion light years, this is the most distant black hole where such a measurement has been made, allowing for an important advance in understanding how black holes grow over time.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Michigan/R.C.Reis et al; Optical: NASA/STScI)