For the first time, astronomers have seen a single black hole boost star birth in more than one galaxy at a time. The supermassive black hole is located in the center of a galaxy about 9.9 billion light years from Earth, which has at least seven neighboring galaxies.
Previously, astronomers had discovered a jet from this black hole in radio waves with the Very Large Array.
Using Chandra, researchers detect a bright X-ray source around the black hole as well as a diffuse cloud of X-rays at one end of the jet.
This thin cloud of X-rays probably represents a bubble in the galaxy's hot gas created by the jet.
As this bubble expanded, it likely created a shock wave that triggered star formation as it moved.
By studying similar objects, astronomers hope to discover how common this phenomenon is in the formation of groups and clusters of galaxies.
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