Quasars are distant galaxies with supermassive black holes and are surrounded by bright, hot disks of gas that spew out dense jets of matter.

New data from Hubble allows astronomers to reassess the mechanism by which these jets form. The previously dominant theory suggested that these jets were triggered by galaxy mergers, but the presence of an intact spiral galaxy that was not disrupted by the merger contradicts this view.

The quasar at the center is a rare example, with spiral arms and a black hole that exceeds 400 million times the mass of the Sun.

The formation of the jets could be due to gravitational interaction with another galaxy, or it could be linked to the ring galaxy seen on the right. Ring galaxies are usually formed when a smaller galaxy passes through a spiral galaxy. This could hold clues to an interaction that triggered the young quasar jet.

Deeper analysis of Hubble's high-resolution spectroscopic data and follow-up observations with other telescopes that can detect light at different wavelengths will play a critical role in confirming the distances of these galaxies and how they affect each other.

Image description:

A field of yellow galaxies of various sizes and distances on a black background. Two large galaxies stand out. In the center is a galaxy with a bright nucleus and faint spiral arms emerging from its upper and lower parts. To the lower right of the spiral is a ring galaxy with a prominent gap between its bright core and the ring oval of dust and gas surrounding it. The second carousel image shows the same view with white text labels.

Image credits: NASA, ESA, Kristina Nyland (US Naval Research Laboratory); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)