Newscenter Update: "Death Star" Galaxy Black Hole Fires at Neighboring Galaxy‏

[Polly]

You can enlarge the fascinating picture and read the rest of the story at Hubble's link:

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive...es/2007/37

A powerful jet from a supermassive black hole is blasting a nearby galaxy, according to new data from NASA observatories. This never-before witnessed galactic violence may have a profound effect on planets in the jet's path and trigger a burst of star formation in its destructive wake. Known as 3C 321, the system contains two galaxies in orbit around each other. Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show both galaxies contain supermassive black holes at their centers, but the larger galaxy has a jet emanating from the vicinity of its black hole. The smaller galaxy apparently has swung into the path of this jet. This "death star galaxy" was discovered through the combined efforts of both space and ground-based telescopes. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer Space Telescope were part of the effort. The Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro, N.M., and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) telescopes in the United Kingdom also were needed for the finding.

[Sily]

Galactic bullying caught on film!!!  Holy moly!  :shock:

"The telescope images show the bully galaxy shooting a stream of deadly radiation particles into the lower section of the other galaxy, which is about one-tenth its size. Both are about 8.2 billion trillion miles from here, orbiting around each other."

Yikes!  Stay away from us!

"Tens of millions of stars, including those with orbiting planets, are likely in the path of the deadly jet, said study co-author Martin Hardcastle of the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom."

Tens of millions of stars and orbiting planets.. in the path of the 'death ray'.  :frown:

[Polly]

Sily, it is said that what is seen in outerspace is the past; the further out, the further in the past.  ;)

[William]

A powerful jet from a supermassive black hole is blasting a nearby galaxy.........

 

  I was under the impression that Black holes Suck!     Uhhhh You know what I mean....     How come this one blows?????  

  I thought everything would be sucked into a black hole and nothing could exscape its gravity  errrr wotevah!

:retard:

[Polly]

Good catch, William!  :dude:

I wonder what's behind that jet coming out of the black hole; what it's source is.

[Sily]

From Nasa:  "The massive influx of energy and radiation from the jet could induce the formation of large numbers of stars and planets after its initial wake of destruction is complete."

Neat!  Creationism in action!  Hey Polly and William... you think the "action" of the destruction and then creation of new planets might be "god" or the "creator" of the universe here?  A "force" that goes around zapping millions of planets at once and creating change?  Maybe it's not a "Death Star" we are seeing but a "Life Star"?  Or am I being too optimistic?  :P

[Polly]

Have you seen this animation video of it?

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn...ef=dn13090

[Sily]

That is amazing!!!    It's massive!  And I think it happened a million years ago?

[Polly]

Come on, Sily, let's figure out a way to get those buffoons to let us look through their Hubble telescope.    It's all amazing out there, no matter where you look.  This event is 1.4 billion light years from Earth.

[Polly]

Measuring the speed of light for dummies like me: :big grin:

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/wav...dence.html