"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
3 May 2023
After over 60 years of speculation, astronomers have finally solved the mystery of quasars colliding. Quasars are some of the most luminous objects in the universe and are powered by supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies. However, for decades, astronomers have observed strange behavior in some quasars that seemed to indicate that they were colliding with other objects in space.
Thanks to new observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, a team of researchers has finally confirmed that quasars do indeed collide with one another. The team used ALMA to observe a pair of quasars that were located close together and found that they were both emitting large amounts of gas and dust, indicating a collision.
The discovery is significant because it provides new insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. Quasars are thought to play a crucial role in the formation of galaxies, and understanding how they collide and interact with one another is key to understanding the history of the universe.
The study's lead author, Dr. Hai Fu of the University of Iowa, said in a statement, "This discovery opens up a new window to study the formation and evolution of galaxies, including our Milky Way. We are excited to see what other secrets about the universe this new window will reveal."
The findings have been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters and have been met with excitement and enthusiasm from the scientific community. The discovery of quasar collisions will undoubtedly lead to further research and insights into the mysteries of the universe.