Gemini North probes the gas, dust and stars at the center of the active galaxy NGC 1068

The top panels (each covering an area of 10.3 x 7.3 arcseconds) show a series of one Angstrom wide wavelength slices through the data across the [OIII] 500.7 nanometer line of doubly ionized oxygen. Across this line the central morphology of NGC 1068 develops various subcomponents corresponding to different velocities. Lower panels show a similar “movie” across the H-beta 486.1 nanometer line of hydrogen.