Black holes may shut down stellar factories
Galaxies stop forming stars despite access to raw materials

DEAD GALAXY The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5044, seen in this composite image, is filled with cold gas, yet it is not making stars. New research suggests a black hole may be to blame. The galaxy is filled with threads of warm hydrogen gas (red) that snake through an atmosphere of hot gas (blue). Stars appear white.
Digitized Sky Survey, Chandra/NASA , Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research, Very Large Array