Cosmic collision reduces galaxy's capabilities

Astronomers have observed for the first time a cosmic collision in which one galaxy “pierces” another with intense radiation, reducing its ability to form new stars, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) announced on Wednesday.

The results, published in the scientific journal Nature , are the result of observations made with the VLT telescope and the ALMA radio telescope, operated by the OES from Chile.

The two galaxies in question advance towards each other, at speeds of 500 kilometers per second , until they collide.

One of the galaxies uses a quasar to “pierce” the other galaxy with radiation. Quasars are the bright cores of some distant galaxies that are powered by supermassive black holes, releasing enormous amounts of radiation.

According to a statement from the OES, an astronomical organization of which Portugal is a member, the light from the collision of the two galaxies took more than 11 billion years to reach Earth , so astronomers observed it as it was when the Universe was 18% of its current estimated age.

According to astronomers, the radiation released by the quasar “breaks” the clouds of gas and dust in the affected galaxy, leaving behind only the smallest and densest regions.

The OES adds that these regions “are probably too small” to be capable of forming new stars, leaving the galaxy “with fewer stellar nurseries”.