in a rare and stunning cosmic scene, scientists have observed a "cosmic duel" between two galaxies colliding at an incredible speed of 500 kilometers per second, using advanced telescopes including the very large telescope (vlt) and the atacama large millimeter/submillimeter array (alma).
this encounter is not just a random intersection but involves a deadly cosmic weapon: a lethal radiation beam emitted from an active galactic nucleus (quasar) in one of the galaxies. this beam, generated by a supermassive black hole weighing about 100 million solar masses, pierces through the second galaxy and destroys its internal gas structure, halting its ability to form new stars.
scientists explained that this is the first time such a direct impact of a quasar on another galaxy has been observed in this way. the ultraviolet radiation transforms gas clouds into small, dense clumps, disrupting star formation in the affected galaxy while leaving the rest of it largely intact — a precise and localized targeting.
the event, which occurred over 11 billion years ago, offers a unique window into the violent interactions between galaxies in the early universe, a time when such phenomena were more common. scientists hope that future telescopes like the extremely large telescope (elt) will help deepen their understanding of these dynamics, thus painting a clearer picture of galactic evolution over cosmic time.