#cq4479

[without-ado]

The Galaxy CQ4479 

The extremely active black hole at the galaxy’s center is consuming material so fast that the material is glowing as it spins into the black hole’s center, forming a luminous quasar. Quasars were thought to end a galaxy’s life but the galaxy CQ4479 is surviving by continuing to birth new stars-about 100 Sun-sized stars a year.   

[blasteffect]

Illustration of the galaxy called CQ4479. 

The extremely active black hole at the galaxy’s center is consuming material so fast that the material is glowing as it spins into the black hole’s center, forming a luminous quasar. 

Quasars create intense energy that was thought to halt all star birth and drive a lethal blow to a galaxy’s growth. But SOFIA found that the galaxy CQ4479 is surviving these monstrous forces, holding on to enough cold gas, shown around the edges in brown, to birth about 100 Sun-sized stars a year, shown in blue.

The discovery is causing scientists to re-think their theories of galactic evolution.

Credits: NASA/ Daniel Rutter