  Supermassive black holes in the nuclei of active galaxies expel large amounts
of matter through powerful winds of ionized gas. The archetypal active galaxy
NGC 5548 has been studied for decades, and high-resolution X-ray and UV
observations have previously shown a persistent ionized outflow. An observing
campaign in 2013 with six space observatories shows the nucleus to be obscured
by a long-lasting, clumpy stream of ionized gas never seen before. It blocks
90% of the soft X-ray emission and causes simultaneous deep, broad UV
absorption troughs. The outflow velocities of this gas are up to five times
faster than those in the persistent outflow, and at a distance of only a few
light days from the nucleus, it may likely originate from the accretion disk.
