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ScienceQuiet 37h · day 3

Study maps how supermassive black holes sculpt galaxies through shock waves

Astronomers find that AGN feedback from black holes doesn't just halt star formation—it actively drives galaxy growth and evolution.

newest coverage 1d agosummary written 1d ago4 pieces1 likes & upvotes MastodonRedditHacker News

What to know

  • Astronomers studying nine galaxies found that supermassive black holes actively drive—not just suppress—star formation through shock waves called AGN feedback.
  • The research challenges the long-held assumption that active galactic nuclei only halt star formation by revealing a complex feedback cycle central to galaxy evolution.
  • All large galaxies host supermassive black holes at their cores, though not all are active; those that are feed on gas and dust from accretion disks.

Lisa Kewley Team member, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Study maps how supermassive black holes sculpt galaxies through shock waves
space.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 21, 7 AM; 4 pieces over 3 days (4 posts) Sep 21, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 1, Reddit 1Sep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 12
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 12:59 AM ET
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    Study reveals black holes actively reshape galaxies through AGN feedback

    Astronomers investigating nine local galaxies with active galactic nuclei at their centers discovered how shock waves from supermassive black holes sculpt star formation. The research maps out how AGN feedback—powerful shocks from energy flowing out of black hole regions—pumps energy into surrounding gas and dust, the raw material for star formation.

    “We're seeing that black holes are not just consuming material at the centers of galaxies, but they're actively reshaping their surroundings.”
    — Lisa Kewley
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    Findings circulate through science communication networks

    The research was shared across multiple platforms including Mastodon and social news aggregators, spreading awareness of the study's implications for understanding galaxy evolution.