Galaxy shifts into blazar, turns almost 90 degrees facing Earth
It was reclassified as a blazar after astronomers saw it emitting intense radio waves and particles out of its core.
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An artistic interpretation of a blazar directing neutrinos and cosmic rays toward earth. (NASA)
A team of astronomers have discovered a rare case of a radio galaxy turning into a blazar, a kind of active galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center.
The black hole is named PBC J2333.9-2343 and was observed using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), the San Pedro Mártir telescope, and the XMM-Newton observatories.
It was reclassified as a blazar after astronomers saw it emitting intense radio waves and particles out of its core.
A recent study found that the blazar has turned by almost 90 degrees in Earth's direction.
Un forat negre supermassiu que s'ha tombat de costat!
— Joan Anton Català Amigó (@estelsiplanetes) April 2, 2023
La galàxia PBC J2333.9-2343 té un forat negre supermassiu en el centre que antigament emitia de manera perpendicular a la nostra línia de visió. Però ara emet de front! Quelcom ha fet que es tombés...https://t.co/6PPCDcjZ9P pic.twitter.com/iFyGcLLYPu
Although the waves are incredibly powerful, there is no need to feel concerned, astronomers said, noting that jet lobes span across 3.9 million light-years away, a distance very far from Earth.
"The fact that we see the nucleus is not feeding the lobes anymore means that they are very old. They are the relics of past activity, whereas the structures located closer to the nucleus represent younger and active jets," Dr. Lorena Hernández-García, leading researcher, said.
Galaxy PBC J2333.9-2343 that's headed towards us, is nearly 40 times the size of our Milky Way galaxy. Research by an international team of experts reveals that the galaxy has changed its direction by 90⁰, and is aimed at our Blue Planet..lol..while the USA and china are busy ex pic.twitter.com/VHwECi4k2a
— Ashwini The Diva😉😎 (@Ashwini96988554) March 30, 2023
The research may provide some valuable information on the behavior of supermassive black holes and the evolution of active galaxies.
It is the first case of a non-X-shaped radio galaxy recalibrating its jet direction. Its discovery highlights the necessity of furthering research on active galaxies and the processes that govern the behavior of supermassive black holes.
Read more: James Webb telescope finds two of the oldest, most distant galaxies
