Astronomers Uncover Massive Black Hole Eruption Behind Unique Star Cluster Formation

The discovery in galaxy cluster SDSS J1531+3414 reveals how an ancient eruption led to star clusters arranged like beads on a string.

Astronomers have discovered one of the most powerful black hole eruptions ever recorded, which may explain the formation of a unique pattern of star clusters around two massive galaxies.
The event occurred in the galaxy cluster SDSS J1531+3414, located 3.8 billion light-years away, where two of the cluster's largest galaxies are colliding.
The eruption created a gigantic cavity and pushed hot gas away, leading to the formation of 19 large star clusters arranged in an 'S' formation, resembling beads on a string.
Evidence of the ancient eruption includes 'wings' of bright X-ray emission and radio waves filling the cavity, observed by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR).
Further observations with Chandra and LOFAR are planned to learn more about the cavity's origin and to find another expected on the opposite side of the black hole.