Black hole inside “death star galaxy” fires on sister galaxy

William Atkins
Tuesday, 18 December 2007 19:49

Science - Space

According to NASA, a black hole at the center of a large galaxy is assaulting its smaller sister galaxy with a jet full of deadly radiation. The two galaxies, called 3C321, are in orbit about each other.              

Important in all of this, is that the jet is causing havoc on existing planets within the smaller galaxy, but may also be giving birth to new planets and stars.

And, we on Earth are seeing it all play out for the very first time.

It’s all kinda like a galactic soap opera set in a galaxy far, far away. An artist’s conception of what this all might look like appears in the MSNBC article “Galaxy blasts neighbor with deadly jet.”

NASA astronomers studying this phenomenon state that this is the first time anyone has ever seen a jet coming out of a galaxy’s supermassive black hole that was directed onto another galaxy. The larger galaxy has been dubbed the “death star galaxy” for its aggressive actions onto its smaller neighbor.

In fact, study leader Dan Evans, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, states in a BBC News article (“Black hole 'bully' blasts galaxy”), "We've seen many jets produced by black holes, but this is the first time we've seen one punch into another galaxy. This jet could be causing all sorts of problems for the smaller galaxy it is pummeling."

The jet being ejected from the black hole contains large amounts of high energy particles and magnetic fields, including high-energy X-rays, gamma-rays, and fast moving particles traveling near the speed of light. NASA astronomers know that planets lie in the path of the jet. The radiation contained within these jets could damage and alter the atmospheres of these planets.