The NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and NSF's Very Large Array observed that in the massive galaxy M87, there is an active 'super volcano'. This volcano is erupting outwards and it is a black hole that is located in the center of the galaxy and is preventing "hundreds of millions of new stars from forming." Research has found several similarities between this space volcano and one in Iceland. Earlier this year, 2010, the volcano in Iceland, Eyjafjallajokull, erupted and scientists that are involved in the study of the space volcano, found the eruption somewhat similar to the one of this volcano. When pockets of hot gas burst from the volcano, it generated shock waves that could be seen in the smoke, and as the hot gas arose into the atmosphere, it brought the ashes with it. A similar process could be seen when the black hole pumps the energetic particles into the cluster gas. There is a cluster filled with hot gas glowing in X-ray light surrounding the M87 galaxy and when it cools, it starts forming new stars. However, this process is being interrupted because of some energetic particles that are produced by the black hole.
"'Our results show in great detail that supermassive black holes have a surprisingly good control over the evolution of the galaxies in which they live. And it doesn't stop there. The black hole's reach extends ever farther into the entire cluster, similar to how one small volcano can affect practically an entire hemisphere on Earth.' said Norbert Werner of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory."
"'This analogy, between the black hole and the Eyjafjallajokull, shows that even though astronomical phenomena can occur in exotic settings and over vast scales, the physics can be very similar to events on Earth,' said co-author Aurora Simionescu also of the Kavli Institute."
What interested me about this article was that I love everything that has to do with astronomy, stars, planets, black holes, and other weird formations in outer space, like this 'super volcano'. I also liked the fact that it is something I had never seen or heard of before and that I thought "who would ever imagine a volcano in outer space?", so it interested me to see how they related this space volcano with the one in Iceland.
Since this galaxy is relatively close to ours, in millions or even billions of years from now, that black hole can reach the Earth and maybe absorb it.
