Latest news with #EuropeanSouthernObservatory
NDTV
4 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Rare Cosmic Event: Supermassive Black Hole Wakes Up After 20-Year Slumber, Stuns Astronomers
In a groundbreaking observation, astronomers have witnessed a galaxy, SDSS1335+0728, dramatically "turn on the lights" after a 20-year slumber, marking the first real-time observation of a massive black hole awakening. The galaxy SDSS1335+0728, located approximately 300 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, began exhibiting dramatic changes in brightness in late 2019, as detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility. Its core, powered by a black hole one million times the Sun's mass, began radiating intense light across ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths, and by February 2024, it emitted X-rays, signalling unprecedented activity. This phenomenon, detailed in Astronomy & Astrophysics, suggests the black hole started feasting on surrounding gas, transforming the galaxy into one with an active galactic nucleus (AGN). According to researchers utilised data from multiple observatories, including the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, to monitor the galaxy's transformation. "Imagine you've been observing a distant galaxy for years, and it always seemed calm and inactive. Suddenly, its core starts showing dramatic changes in brightness, unlike any typical event we've seen before," said Paula Sanchez Saez, an astronomer at ESO in Germany and lead author of the study accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. This event marks the first real-time observation of a black hole transitioning from a quiescent to an active state, providing invaluable insights into the behaviour of these cosmic giants. Co-author Claudio Ricci noted that such "giant monsters" typically remain dormant and invisible, making this a rare glimpse into black hole activation. Alternative explanations, like a prolonged tidal disruption event where a star is shredded by the black hole, are being explored, but the sustained brightness over years sets this apart from typical flares, which fade within months. Profound Implications This observation could refine models of black hole growth and galaxy evolution, offering clues about how these cosmic giants influence star formation. Researchers are using advanced telescopes, like the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, to gather more data, hoping to confirm whether this is a new class of outburst or a slow tidal event. Each scenario would require revising models of black hole accretion and the frequency of black hole awakenings in the present-day universe. "Regardless of the nature of the variations, this galaxy provides valuable information on how black holes grow and evolve. We expect that instruments such as MUSE on the VLT and those on the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope will be key to understanding why the galaxy is brightening," Sanchez Saez added.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the week: Violent galaxies seen 'jousting' near the dawn of time
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Quick facts What it is: Two galaxies colliding in the early universe Where it is: 11 billion light-years away, in the constellation Cetus When it was shared: May 21, 2025 If you get up before sunrise any day this month, you'll see bright Venus rising in the east. Just below it, in the constellation Cetus (The Whale), something spectacularly violent is happening in the distant background: a "cosmic joust" between two giant galaxies. There, 11 billion light-years from Earth and close to the beginning of the universe itself, two galaxies are moving toward each other at speeds of 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second), destined to collide before retreating and colliding again and again. Captured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile and published this week in Nature, the image is unique because one of the galaxies is a quasar, in which a supermassive black hole consumes so much gas and dust that it produces a glowing disk at the center of a galaxy. According to the European Space Agency, quasars are among the most luminous objects in the known universe, typically emitting thousands of times more light than the entire Milky Way. This quasar, J012555.11−012925.00, is shown on the right of the image. As the galaxy on the right collides with the galaxy on the left, it pierces its clouds of gas and dust with intense radiation — hence the comparison to the medieval sport of jousting — inhibiting the galaxy's ability to form new stars. The collision between these two galaxies leaves the one on the left in a much worse state. It's the first time astronomers have witnessed such a collision. "Here we see for the first time the effect of a quasar's radiation directly on the internal structure of the gas in an otherwise regular galaxy," Sergey Balashev, co-lead of the study and a researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, said in a statement. The observations indicate that the spear of radiation from the quasar leaves intact only the densest regions of gas and dust, which are likely too small to form stars. Related: Cotton candy clouds shine in one of Hubble's most beautiful images ever SEE MORE SPACE PHOTOS —Cotton candy clouds shine in one of Hubble's most beautiful images ever —Bizarre 1-armed spiral galaxy stuns Hubble scientists —Record-breaking James Webb telescope image captures 1,678 galaxy groups at once Not surprisingly, the depletion of the companion galaxy leaves the quasar stronger, which provides new fuel to the supermassive black hole powering the quasar. "These mergers are thought to bring huge amounts of gas to supermassive black holes residing in galaxy centers," Balashev said. In addition to this spectacular image, the European Southern Observatory published videos on YouTube that explain the science, zoom in on the galactic collision, and give an artist's impression of the violent event. For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
First-ever cosmic duel caught: One galaxy blasted another in deep space battle 11 billion light-years away
A clash of titans Star formation Live Events Implications for galactic evolution What's next (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Astronomers have, for the first time, captured a dramatic cosmic event: two galaxies engaged in a high-speed collision, aptly dubbed a "cosmic joust." This celestial spectacle, occurring over 11 billion light-years away, offers unprecedented insights into galaxy evolution and the influence of quasars on star formation Utilizing the combined capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, researchers observed two massive galaxies hurtling toward each other at approximately 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One of these galaxies harbors a quasar—a luminous, energetic core powered by a supermassive black hole—emitting intense radiation that pierces its galactic neighbor."Much like jousting knights charging toward one another, these galaxies are rapidly approaching," explained Pasquier Noterdaeme, co-lead of the study and researcher at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile. "One of them—the quasar host—emits a powerful beam of radiation that pierces the companion galaxy, like a lance. This radiation 'wounds' its 'opponent' as it disrupts the gas."The quasar's ultraviolet radiation, about a thousand times stronger than that of our Milky Way , disrupts the molecular gas clouds in the companion galaxy. These clouds, typically the birthplaces of stars, are fragmented into tiny, dense cloudlets too small to initiate star formation."It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy," noted Sergei Balashev, co-author of the study and researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation."This cosmic encounter occurred when the universe was merely 2.4 billion years old, providing a rare window into the early stages of galaxy formation and interaction. The galaxies involved are similar in size to the Milky Way, each containing hundreds of billions of stars."Galaxies are typically found in groups, and gravitational ...," Noterdaeme said. "In line with current understanding, these ... The quasar will fade as it."The observation not only confirms long-standing theories about quasar influence on star formation but also underscores the dynamic and often violent nature of galaxy evolution. As galaxies merge, the influx of gas can fuel supermassive black holes, triggering quasar activity that, in turn, can suppress star formation in neighboring regions."This study provides the first direct evidence supporting long-standing theoretical models," said Neeraj Gupta, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India, who contributed to the the light from this event has taken over 11 billion years to reach us, the implications of this discovery are immediate, offering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between galaxies and the forces that shape them. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, observations like this "cosmic joust" illuminate the intricate dance of creation and destruction that governs our universe.
Business Mayor
7 days ago
- Science
- Business Mayor
Space photo of the week: Violent galaxies seen 'jousting' near the dawn of time
Quick facts What it is: Two galaxies colliding in the early universe Where it is: 11 billion light-years away, in the constellation Cetus When it was shared: May 21, 2025 If you get up before sunrise any day this month, you'll see bright Venus rising in the east. Just below it, in the constellation Cetus (The Whale), something spectacularly violent is happening in the distant background: a 'cosmic joust' between two giant galaxies. There, 11 billion light-years from Earth and close to the beginning of the universe itself, two galaxies are moving toward each other at speeds of 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second), destined to collide before retreating and colliding again and again. Captured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile and published this week in Nature, the image is unique because one of the galaxies is a quasar, in which a supermassive black hole consumes so much gas and dust that it produces a glowing disk at the center of a galaxy. According to the European Space Agency , quasars are among the most luminous objects in the known universe, typically emitting thousands of times more light than the entire Milky Way. This quasar, J012555.11−012925.00, is shown on the right of the image. As the galaxy on the right collides with the galaxy on the left, it pierces its clouds of gas and dust with intense radiation — hence the comparison to the medieval sport of jousting — inhibiting the galaxy's ability to form new stars. The collision between these two galaxies leaves the one on the left in a much worse state. It's the first time astronomers have witnessed such a collision. 'Here we see for the first time the effect of a quasar's radiation directly on the internal structure of the gas in an otherwise regular galaxy,' Sergey Balashev , co-lead of the study and a researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, said in a statement . The observations indicate that the spear of radiation from the quasar leaves intact only the densest regions of gas and dust, which are likely too small to form stars. Related: Cotton candy clouds shine in one of Hubble's most beautiful images ever Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Not surprisingly, the depletion of the companion galaxy leaves the quasar stronger, which provides new fuel to the supermassive black hole powering the quasar. 'These mergers are thought to bring huge amounts of gas to supermassive black holes residing in galaxy centers,' Balashev said. In addition to this spectacular image, the European Southern Observatory published videos on YouTube that explain the science , zoom in on the galactic collision , and give an artist's impression of the violent event. For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives .
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
First-ever cosmic duel caught: One galaxy blasted another in deep space battle 11 billion light-years away
Astronomers have, for the first time, captured a dramatic cosmic event: two galaxies engaged in a high-speed collision, aptly dubbed a "cosmic joust." This celestial spectacle, occurring over 11 billion light-years away, offers unprecedented insights into galaxy evolution and the influence of quasars on star formation . A clash of titans Utilizing the combined capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, researchers observed two massive galaxies hurtling toward each other at approximately 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One of these galaxies harbors a quasar—a luminous, energetic core powered by a supermassive black hole—emitting intense radiation that pierces its galactic neighbor. "Much like jousting knights charging toward one another, these galaxies are rapidly approaching," explained Pasquier Noterdaeme, co-lead of the study and researcher at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile. "One of them—the quasar host—emits a powerful beam of radiation that pierces the companion galaxy, like a lance. This radiation 'wounds' its 'opponent' as it disrupts the gas." Star formation The quasar's ultraviolet radiation, about a thousand times stronger than that of our Milky Way , disrupts the molecular gas clouds in the companion galaxy. These clouds, typically the birthplaces of stars, are fragmented into tiny, dense cloudlets too small to initiate star formation. Live Events "It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy," noted Sergei Balashev, co-author of the study and researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation." This cosmic encounter occurred when the universe was merely 2.4 billion years old, providing a rare window into the early stages of galaxy formation and interaction. The galaxies involved are similar in size to the Milky Way, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. "Galaxies are typically found in groups, and gravitational ...," Noterdaeme said. "In line with current understanding, these ... The quasar will fade as it." Implications for galactic evolution The observation not only confirms long-standing theories about quasar influence on star formation but also underscores the dynamic and often violent nature of galaxy evolution. As galaxies merge, the influx of gas can fuel supermassive black holes, triggering quasar activity that, in turn, can suppress star formation in neighboring regions. "This study provides the first direct evidence supporting long-standing theoretical models," said Neeraj Gupta, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India, who contributed to the research. What's next While the light from this event has taken over 11 billion years to reach us, the implications of this discovery are immediate, offering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between galaxies and the forces that shape them. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, observations like this "cosmic joust" illuminate the intricate dance of creation and destruction that governs our universe. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
