Scientists and astronomers were able to capture the first cosmic jet from a galaxy collision. According to a report from The International Business Times, a team of astronomers was able to snap the first photo of the powerful cosmic jet that emits plasma and gas from the collision of two enormous galaxies.
The astronomers believe that the cosmic jet from the galactic mergers will start to get brighter and stronger. The space collision that the astronomers discovered involved the galaxy TXS 2116-077 and another spiral-shaped celestial-body.
The Astrophysical Journal published the gathered data from the new study. In it, it said that the reason for the formation of the collimated relativistic outflows, or cosmic jets created from the centers of galaxies, is still unknown. The collision of galaxies was proposed to be studied to understand better the conditions behind the cosmic jets that can be seen in the intergalactic conditions.
First Cosmic Jet is captured by scientists; Will the galaxy collision affect the Earth?
Scientists clarified that galaxy collisions are common events outside the solar system, but capturing the cosmic jet that the event creates is rare. The group of international astronomers had the chance to document the event and were able to observe it while gathering information that can be used in future studies.
According to the astronomers, both of the galaxies involved in the collision have black holes at their centers. These black holes can grow rapidly and can also create active galactic nuclei (AGN).
According to the study, AGNs sometimes encounter the right conditions to create and emit cosmic jets. Usually, these jets of plasma are directed away from the planet making them challenging to detect and identify. However, the rare collision of TXS 2116-077 and the spiral-shaped galaxy happened in a suitable viewing distance from Earth, allowing the scientists to observe and capture the streams of plasma emitted by the galaxy's AGN.
"Typically, a jet emits light that is so powerful we can't see the galaxy behind it," said Stefano Marchesi, one of the astronomers in the Observatory of Astrophysics and Space Science in Bologna, in the report of International Business Times.
"It's like trying to look at an object and someone points a bright flashlight into your eyes. All you can see is the flashlight. This jet is less powerful, so we can actually see the galaxy where it is born," Marchesi added.
The astronomers reiterated, however, that the information they have gathered from the study is not enough. The astronomers theorized that since the cosmic jet can still be seen within the galaxies, it will get brighter and stronger until the galaxies can no longer be seen because of the jet stream's brightness.
