Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. who specializes in science, space, physics, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, quantum mechanics and technology. Rob's articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space and ZME Science.
Astronomers have witnessed vast black holes blasting powerful beams of particles into space, and then changing aim and firing at new celestial targets.
"We found that about a third of the beams are now pointing in completely different directions than before," team leader Francesco Ubertosi of the University of Bologna said in a statement. "These Death Star black holes are swiveling around and pointing at new targets, like the fictional space station in Star Wars."
This reorientation takes place over timescales as long as one million years to a few tens of millions of years. That may sound incredibly slow, but factoring in how long these cosmic titans have existed, it is relatively short. The jets like those the team behind this research focused on are created when supermassive black holes are surrounded by flattened clouds of matter called accretion disks. These platters of gas and dust gradually feed matter to the black hole, but not all the material in them meets this fate.
"These galaxies are too distant to tell if the beams from the Death Star black holes are damaging stars and their planets, but we are confident they are preventing many stars and planets from forming in the first place," team member and CfA researcher Ewan O'Sullivan said.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Death Star Black Holes 'Swiveling Around and Pointing at New Targets'—NASAThis change 'is analogous to changing the direction of a new battleship in a few minutes,' researcher Gerrit Schellenberger said.
Read more »
Eight Years After Rogue One, Star Wars Is Retconning The Death Star's Origin AgainTarkin was more involved than we thought...
Read more »
Star Wars Death Star Wall Panel Light Changes Color and Reacts To MusicAdd some serious Star Wars ambiance to your home.
Read more »
Star Wars: Shatterpoint Recreates Death Star Rescue SceneStar Wars: Shatterpoint will recreate a classic Star Wars scene later this year.
Read more »
Star Wars Collector Gus Lopez Reveals What Really Happened To The Death Star Model In Exclusive ClipDarth Vader edited with the Death Star in Star Wars
Read more »
"Screams Will Echo Throughout the Galaxy": Palpatine's Death Star Was a Pale Imitation of the Weapon He Actually WantedStar Wars&39; Palpatine with the Death Star and Final Occultation behind him.
Read more »