Astronomers are amazed by an unusual movement performed by supermassive black holes. In most of the galaxies analyzed until now, the researchers have discovered frequent occurrences of jets of energy, which are emitted by the supermassive black holes and sent into the outer space.
However, the perceptions of the researchers have changed after they have discovered a couple of bizarre-looking galaxies. This time, the jets released in the Universe take the form of an “X,” as shown by a couple of radio astronomy observations.
The recently published study talks about a galaxy commonly referred to as PKS 2014-55 and its unique characteristics. Studies have shown that this elliptical galaxy is located at 800 million light-years away from our planet, inside the Telescopium constellation. Additionally, its emitted jets take the form of an X.
But what is the element that determines this unique movement? The researchers gathered information with the help of the South African radio telescope and managed to explain the inner-workings of this uncommon phenomenon. In this case, it seems that the superhot jets are launched in the outer space with speed higher than 2.5 million light-years. After that, the light falls back like one of the elaborate Las Vegas fountains, creating the X shape in the Universe.
Another crucial role in this discovery was played by the MeerKAT radio telescope, which presents a series of 64 antennas, all positioned in the Karoo desert, from South Africa. These specially designed computers can mix data coming from individual antennas and develop radio images.
It was for this unique equipment that the researchers managed to identify the phenomenon inside PKS 2014-55. It is thought that once the energetic material is released into the outer space, it reaches a hot thin gas. That is the moment when the aggressive jets slow down, and in the end, they stop the journey, beginning to fall back again in the place from which they came.
This paper has been published in The New York Times.