Dec 10, 2019 - Science

NASA photo reveals star formation sparked by distant supermassive black hole

Miriam Kramer, author of Space

Photo: X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF/R. Gilli et al.; Radio NRAO/VLA; Optical: NASA/STScI

A supermassive black hole's influence can stretch far beyond its immediate surroundings.

What's happening: A newly released photo from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes reveals a black hole in the middle of a galaxy 9.9 billion light-years from Earth that's spurring on star formation in four other galaxies around it, according to a new study in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Details: A radio jet emitted by the black hole likely heated up a bubble of hot gas, causing it to expand and creating a shock wave that sparked star formation in other galaxies.

Scientists have found plenty of examples of black holes that impede star formation, but this is one of the first examples of a supermassive black hole that's actually instigating it, NASA said.

Go deeper:

Go deeper

Updated 35 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 a.m. ET: 11,304,534 — Total deaths: 531,659 — Total recoveries — 6,111,195 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 a.m. ET: 2,841,124 — Total deaths: 129,689 — Total recoveries: 894,325 — Total tested: 34,858,427 — Map.
States: Photos of America's pandemic July 4 — ICU beds in Arizona hot spot near capacity.
Public health: U.S. coronavirus infections hit record highs for 3 straight days.
Politics: Trump extends PPP application deadline — New Jersey gov. wants national face mask requirement
World: Mexican leaders call for tighter border control as infections rise in U.S.
Sports: 31 MLB players test positive as workouts resume.
1 📽 thing: Drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)

2 hours ago - Sports

Sports return stalked by coronavirus

Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Austin Meadows bumps elbows Friday during a workout at Tropicana Field. Photo: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports via Reuters

When MLB teams arrived at the ballpark this weekend for the first summer workouts of 2020, the comforting sounds of baseball brought smiles to players' faces.

Between the lines: Even the loudest crack of the bat couldn't mask the eerie silence or distract from the ever-present coronavirus threat.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

3 hours ago - Health

239 scientists call on WHO to recognize coronavirus as airborne

People walk at the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Photo: Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

A group of 239 scientists in 32 countries is calling for the World Health Organization to revise its recommendations to account for airborne transmission as a significant factor in how the coronavirus spreads, the New York Times reports.

The big picture: The WHO has said the virus mainly spreads via large respiratory droplets that fall to the ground once they've been discharged in coughs and sneezes. But the scientists say evidence shows the virus can spread from smaller particles that linger in air indoors.

Go deeper (1 min. read)