Radio telescopes reveal unseen galactic cannibalism
Monday, June 23, 2008 - 12:14
in Astronomy & Space
Mystery of black hole 'feeding' resolved Radio-telescope images have revealed previously-unseen galactic cannibalism -- a triggering event that leads to feeding frenzies by gigantic black holes at the cores of galaxies. Astronomers have long suspected that the extra-bright cores of spiral galaxies called Seyfert galaxies are powered by supermassive black holes consuming material. However, they could not see how the material is started on its journey toward the black hole.