Black hole shock: Supermassive monsters are ‘turboboosting’ galaxies to birth new stars

Now, scientists have evidence for a galaxy cluster where stars are forming at a unexpectedly swift rates, apparently linked to a less effective black hole in its centre.

In this so-far unique cluster, the jets from the central black hole instead appear to be assisting star formation.

Professor Michael McDonald, astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who led the study, said: “This is a phenomenon that astronomers had been trying to find for a long time.

“This cluster demonstrates that, in some instances, the energetic output from a black hole can actually enhance cooling, leading to dramatic consequences.”