Fact Sheet
Under Attack
A gigantic "particle beam" from a black hole in the galaxy at lower left rams into a smaller companion galaxy above it in this artist's concept. The smaller galaxy deflects and disperses part of the beam. The beam is powered by a strong magnetic field around the supermassive black hole in the galaxy's heart, which shoots electrically charged particles far into space. The jet of material could damage any planets it encounters, but in the companion galaxy, which is about 20,000 light-years away, it could squeeze together clouds of gas and dust, giving birth to new stars. The system is known as 3C321. [NASA/CXC/M. Weiss]
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