We Caught a Black Hole Switching On For the First Time
Aug 27, 2026 #Astrum #Space #BlackHole
This supermassive black hole just woke up, and started killing its galaxy.
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Scientists have spotted something firing out “cosmic bullets” into space at nearly the speed of light. The culprit: a supermassive black hole that’s waking up and turning into a quasar… with deadly consequences for its entire galaxy. In this video, we’ll find out how a black hole can kill a galaxy, and whether we should be worried for our own.
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0:00 What’s Happening to This Black Hole?
3:21 Galaxy Collisions
4:49 Cosmic Bullets
9:12 XRISM
11:25 Quasar Waking Up
17:03 NewAthena Mission
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References:
“XRISM Mission”, via nasa.gov https://astrumspace.info/xrism
“Ultrafast Outflows in the Merger Galaxy IRAS 05189–2524”, via iop.org https://astrumspace.info/irasoutflows
“NASA-Led Study Explains Decades of Black Hole Observations”, via nasa.gov https://astrumspace.info/bh_obs
“Effects of Ultra-Fast Outflows on X-ray Time Lags in AGN”, via arxiv.org https://astrumspace.info/xrayagn
“Awakening the Monster in an Explosive Starburst Galaxy”, via jaxa.jp https://astrumspace.info/monsterbh
“Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies”, via harvard.edu https://astrumspace.info/ultralum
“Quenching of Star Formation in Massive Galaxies”, via arxiv.org https://astrumspace.info/quenchsf
“Evolution and Mergers of Galaxies”, via caltech.edu https://astrumspace.info/galaxyevol
“Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)”, via nasa.gov https://astrumspace.info/iras
“NewAthena Factsheet”, via esa.int https://astrumspace.info/newathena
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Credits:
Writer: Fleur Bone
Video Editor: Alan Parry
Audio Editor: James Horsley
Researcher: Shourya Shrivastava
Script Editor: Damaris McColgan
Thumbnail Designers: Peter Sheppard, Juane Dames
Publishing Lead: Georgina Brenner
Production Coordinator: Rose Unwin
Edit Producer: Poppy Pinnock
Head of Astrum: Jess Jordan
Creator of Astrum: Alex McColgan
With special thanks to:
NASA/ESO/ESA
#Astrum #Space #BlackHole
Astrum examines the powerful X-ray observations from the XRISM telescope, which captured a super massive black hole releasing high-speed outflows within a merging galaxy system. These findings offer critical insights into the complex relationship between black holes and the lifecycle of their host galaxies, providing a deeper understanding of how these cosmic giants influence galactic evolution.
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