Tag: galaxy evolution
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Sagittarius A* Reveals Violent Past of Milky Way’s Black Hole
Introduction: A Black Hole With a Hidden History The supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), has long been thought of as a quiet giant. Recent findings from an international X-ray spacecraft challenge that quiet image, suggesting Sgr A* was far more violent billions of years ago.…
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Wobbling Black Hole Jet Revealed in Nearby Disk Galaxy: A Galaxy-Scale Revelation
Introduction: A Milky Way-Neighbor’s Dramatic Revelation Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea have identified the largest and most extended stream of super-heated gas flowing from a nearby disk galaxy. This discovery provides the clearest evidence yet that a supermassive black hole can launch powerful jets that distort and heat their galactic surroundings,…
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NASA X-ray Eyes Reveal Violent Past of the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
Introduction: A Quiet Giant Thankful for X-ray Clues For years, the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy—Sagittarius A*—was thought to be a dormant giant, calmly consuming the occasional star or gas cloud with little fanfare. A recent international mission, using state-of-the-art X-ray observations, has turned that assumption on its head. The data…
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Galactic Hug: Space Telescopes Capture Colliding Galaxies for Jan. 8, 2026
Two Space Telescopes, One Cosmic Collision On January 8, 2026, NASA released a remarkable composite image that brings together the visible light viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and high-energy X-rays detected by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The result is a striking portrait of two galaxies in the early stages of a cosmic…
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Starless Gas Cloud on Cloud 9: A New Cosmic Mystery
Emerging Discoveries Beyond the Brightest Stars In the vastness of the universe, not every cloud of gas sparks a new sun. Recent observations have spotlighted a rare, starless gas cloud floating in interstellar and intergalactic space, nicknamed a “cloud on cloud nine” by researchers for its quiet, enigmatic nature. This object challenges conventional wisdom about…
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Supermassive Black Holes Exhibit Selective Feeding During Galaxy Mergers
Overview: A New Look at Black Hole Diets For decades, astronomers have treated supermassive black holes (SMBHs) as cosmic vacuum cleaners, voraciously consuming gas, stars, and anything that crosses their event horizons. Yet recent observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) are challenging that image. In merging galaxies, SMBHs show selective feeding patterns that…
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Selective Feeding: How Supermassive Black Holes Skim Gas During Galaxy Mergers
Introduction: A New View of Black Hole Feeding Black holes are often portrayed as cosmic vacuum cleaners, devouring anything that strays too close. Yet recent observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) show that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in merging galaxies do not always gorge on available gas. Instead, their appetite appears selective, channelling…
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Virgil Galaxy Metamorphosis: JWST Captures Cosmic Beast
Introduction: A Galaxy That Becomes a Beast In a spectacle that feels pulled from a science fiction storyboard, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has brought a galaxy nicknamed “Virgil” into the spotlight. Scientists describe its appearance as a dramatic Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation on a cosmic scale, where a seemingly ordinary spiral galaxy shifts into a…
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Virgil: The James Webb Telescope’s Stunning Cosmic Metamorphosis
Intro: A New Cosmic Chameleon Emerges The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has once again pushed the boundaries of astronomical storytelling by turning a distant galaxy, nicknamed Virgil, into a living case study of dramatic morphological transformation. In a recent set of observations, the telescope captured moments that read like a celestial Jekyll and Hyde…
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Virgil the Cosmic Behemoth: JWST Watches a Galaxy Transform from Quiescent to Monster
Introduction: A Galaxy that Marries Mystery and Magnitude In a display that feels straight out of a sci‑fi storyboard, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has observed a galaxy nicknamed “Virgil” performing a dramatic, almost Jekyll-and Hyde–like transformation. From a relatively placid disk to a towering, dynamically charged beast of a galaxy, Virgil delivers a…