Cross At Center Of Galaxy

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From NASA:"X" Structure at Core of Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

This image of the core of the nearby spiral galaxy M51, taken with the Wide Field Planetary camera (in PC mode) on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, shows a striking , dark “X” silhouetted across the galaxy’s nucleus. The “X” [we would say a cross–SD] is due to absorption by dust and marks the exact position of a black hole which may have a mass equivalent to one-million stars like the sun. The darkest bar may be an edge-on dust ring which is 100 light-years in diameter. The edge-on torus not only hides the black hole and accretion disk from being viewed directly from earth, but also determines the axis of a jet of high-speed plasma and confines radiation from the accretion disk to a pair of oppositely directed cones of light, which ionize gas caught in their beam. The second bar of the “X” could be a second disk seen edge on, or possibly rotating gas and dust in MS1 intersecting with the jets and ionization cones.

The size of the image is 1100 light-years.

[Dear Jesus, grant me the grace, strength, and courage to truly live the Gospel throughout my remaining days; the desire to fight and struggle toward Your Holy Cross and my hopeful salvation. Bless me Jesus during my final moments, so that I may simply glorify Your Will. Lord, I can offer You nothing but my suffering and love. Even though I am a wretched sinner, please take the last beat of my heart, my last breath, and my last thought. O Merciful Savior, place them in Your Sacred Heart so that my final actions and thoughts will forever be within Your unending Mercy. Amen. — SD]