A supermassive black hole from a far-away galaxy has been observed to expel radiation at a speed that is close to that of light. It has changed its angle by 90 degrees and now faces the earth.
Galaxy Reclassification
According to Live Science, the large galaxy PBC J2333.9-2343 used to be classified as a radio galaxy. This previous classification means that the enormous radiation jets of its active galactic nuclei (AGN) perpendicularly out of earth's line of sight.
AGNs are "hungry black holes" that can be found at the galactic core. They accumulate matter and release strong particles with high energy called relativistic jets. Their classifications are based on the specific AGN part facing the earth.
A new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal proposes that the previously classified radio galaxy is actually a blazar.
Blazars
According to IFL Science, blazars generally refer to galaxies that have jets pointing toward earth. At times, jet emission is so strong that it may even outshine the supermassive black hole's host galaxy. These blazars have strong flare that can "outdo radio features," such as the lobes. However, in this galaxy's case, the lobes are dominant when it is observed through radio waves. It was only through follow-up classifications that the blazar's nature was truly revealed and that fostered the need to reclassify the galaxy.
In a statement, Dr. Lorena Hernández-García, the study's lead author and a researcher from the Millenium Institute of Astrophysics, notes that they began studying the specific study as it showcased intriguing characteristics. They hypothesized that the supermassive black hole's jet altered its direction. To confirm this, they had to conduct various observations.
The team observed the galaxy throughout almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Observations revealed that the galaxy indeed had the hallmark features of blazars. For one, the galaxy dimmed and brightened like blazars and had similar jets. From this, they concluded that it was likely a blazar.
They also looked into the two lobes, which are areas where jets of AGN interact with the gas surrounding them and where jets have made their mark in the past. They observed that the blazar had very old lobes and that they were "relics of past activity."
As per Live Science, the lobes' dormancy shows that the jets really altered their direction. While this is not totally a surprise, in previous cases, there were two lobe sets, which meant that two different jets turned on and off. For this galaxy, there is only one activity source, and it has altered its direction.
Astronomers are still trying to figure out why and how this shift happened. Further observations are necessary to know more about this puzzling mystery.
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