A supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy is launching a jet of gas with such force and precision that it may be stripping its host of the raw material needed to form new stars. In VV 340a, this rare jet does not travel in a straight line but instead wobbles and spirals as it moves outward, heating and ionizing gas across vast regions.
As it carves through the galaxy, the jet disrupts the cold gas clouds that normally collapse to create stars. Over time, this process can significantly slow or even shut down star formation. The phenomenon reveals how extreme black hole activity can reshape an entire galaxy.
The observation, made by a team of astronomers led by Justin Kader, provides one of the clearest views yet of how black holes influence galactic evolution. VV 340a hosts an active galactic nucleus, a highly luminous core powered by a supermassive black hole feeding on surrounding matter.
Jet With A Wobble Reshapes Galactic Structure
In VV 340a, the jet emitted from the central black hole doesn’t shoot straight, it precesses. According to a study published in Science on 8 January 2026, the jet slowly sweeps out a cone, forming a helical pattern as it travels outward from the galaxy’s core. This wobble allows it to affect far more of the surrounding gas than a straight, fixed path would.
Researchers describe this as the first time a precessing radio jet of this scale has been observed in a disk galaxy. Using radio data, the team traced the jet’s large-scale motion, noting how its spiraling path allows it to heat and displace gas well beyond the galactic center. The movement resembles the tilt and rotation of a toy top, except here, the consequences stretch across light-years.
An image showing VV 340, a pair of galaxies in interaction. Credit: NASA, CXC, IfA, NRAO, STScI, and D. Sanders, and A. Evans.
Star-making Gas Expelled At Significant Rate
The impact of the jet is not subtle. The team measured a gas outflow rate of 19.4 ± 7.9 solar masses per year. This means that every year, gas equal in mass to roughly 19 Suns is being stripped from the galaxy, gas that would otherwise contribute to the formation of new stars.
This ejected material is also unusually hot and highly ionized. Astronomers refer to it as coronal line gas, a type normally confined to the regions immediately around black holes. But in VV 340a, it extends far into the host galaxy. The team credits infrared observations from Webb for this insight, as infrared wavelengths can pierce the thick dust that blocks visible light in the galaxy.
Large-scale morphology of the galactic outflow in VV 340a. Credit: W. M. Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko
Hidden Forces, Clear Signals
To build a complete picture of what’s happening inside VV 340a, the team relied on a diverse set of instruments. Each telescope added a critical piece: the James Webb Space Telescope captured the hidden structure of hot, dusty gas; Keck-II and Very Large Array mapped visible and radio signatures of the jet; ALMA provided details at sub-millimeter scales.
According to Science Daily, this multi-wavelength approach allowed the researchers to trace both the jet and the expelled gas with unprecedented clarity. The result is a compelling look at how a black hole can extend its influence far beyond its immediate surroundings.