Massive black hole causes storm in “Teacup” galaxy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Massive black hole causes storm in "Teacup” galaxy New evidence that the largest black holes can have a catastrophic effect on their surrounding galaxies has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Durham University. Using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array of 27 radio telescopes in New Mexico, they found surprisingly energetic activity in what they otherwise considered a "boring" galaxy. The astronomers saw the galaxy as it was 1.1 billion years ago - the time it takes for light and radio waves emitted from it to reach the Earth. Lead-author Chris Harrison, of the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy at Durham University said: "It appears that a supermassive black hole is explosively heating and blasting around the gas in this galaxy and is transforming it from an actively star-forming galaxy into one devoid of gas that can no longer form stars." The discovery may help to explain the difference between two types of galaxy - spirals, like our own Milky Way, which are rich in gas and actively forming stars, and ellipticals, which are gas-poor and have very little star formation.