Astronomers at the University of Sheffield in the UK have discovered that quasars gain much more energy when galaxies collide. Quasars are said to be the most powerful objects in the universe. It looks as if it is shining brightly like a trillion stars.
Quasars originate when galaxies form. At that time events like supermassive black holes also occur in their center. New research has shown that quasars get incredible energy from colliding galaxies.
Astronomers observed 48 galaxies, including quasars, using deep imaging methods from the Isaac Newton Telescope in La Palma, Spain. They later compared it to a hundred other galaxies, excluding quasars.
When two galaxies collide, large amounts of gas are pushed toward the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy system. Black holes release a lot of energy through fission before consuming all the gas. From there the quasars originate.
Our Milky Way Galaxy may become a quasar when it collides with the Andromeda Galaxy within the next five billion years. Most galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centers.
Quasars increase in brightness when the black hole emits energy through radiation just before consuming all the gas. The ignition of a quasar can have dramatic consequences for the entire galaxy. In other words, it can expel all the gas from the galaxy. As a result, the system will inhibit the formation of new stars.
Quasars are essential for researchers studying early periods in the universe’s history. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is playing an important role in studying ancient galaxies. It is also able to detect light from quasars.