Sean T. Linden

In three galaxies, like a city at night, radio astronomers counted 115 bright dots. Most are local streetlights: a supernova remnant, stellar nurseries, unknown warm spots. But nine turned out not to be residents at all – these are distant supermassive black holes whose radiation happens to pierce t

Scientists studied the galaxy VV 340a, where the jet from its central black hole wobbles with a period of about 800,000 years. It sweeps away gas—roughly 19 solar masses per year. The superheated gas leaves the galaxy, and star formation shuts down.