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Atom & Cosmos

Black hole may construct its own galactic home

Observations of a 'homeless' quasar suggest new ideas for galaxy formation

A homeless black hole might be building a new galaxy to live in, new observations suggest.

COSMIC CONSTRUCTION BOOM New observations show a black hole shooting its galactic neighbor with jets of radio energy, as in this artist’s illustration. The jets might be responsible for the galaxy’s rapid star formation. ~~ ESO

The find could be the latest clue in a longstanding mystery in astronomy: whether supermassive black holes or the galaxies that house them form first.