Overview

• The phenomenon, dubbed the 'cosmic joust,' marks the first direct observation of a quasar piercing and altering the gas of a merging companion galaxy.
• The quasar, powered by a supermassive black hole, disrupted molecular gas in the companion galaxy, preventing star formation in affected regions.
• The event occurred 11 billion years ago, offering insights into galaxy evolution during the universe's early epochs.
• Astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to capture this unprecedented interaction.
• Future studies with advanced telescopes like ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope aim to deepen understanding of quasar-driven galaxy transformations.