Astronomers Discovered Rare Quadruple-Double Radio Galaxy
Researchers identified a massive galaxy spanning 3.9 million light-years with four distinct jet outbursts.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Physics
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Astronomers discovered a rare radio galaxy, designated J023721.13-010528.5, which features four distinct jet outbursts. This discovery makes it the first identified quadruple-double radio galaxy.
Why it matters
The galaxy's structure reveals that the central black hole's spin axis is slowly wobbling over time, causing the observed counterclockwise rotation of its jet axes. This finding helps astronomers understand the long-term behavior of massive black holes.
The galaxy spans 3.9 million light-years at a redshift of 0.372. Researchers utilized data from the GMRT, MeerKAT, and the Very Large Array to confirm the hotspot pairs, which have spectral ages between 4.5 and 20.5 million years.
The players
J023721.13-010528.5
This is the designation for the newly discovered radio galaxy that spans 3.9 million light-years.
GMRT
The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope is a low-frequency radio telescope array located near Pune, India.
MeerKAT
This is a radio telescope array in South Africa consisting of 64 antennas that provides high-resolution imaging.
Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array is a major radio astronomy observatory located in New Mexico.
The details
By measuring physical distance and radio spectral changes, researchers determined that the galaxy has undergone four separate eruptive episodes. The jet axes exhibit a progressive counterclockwise shift, with recorded axis deviations of -7, -16, and -24 degrees across the different pairs.
Timeline
The four distinct jet outbursts occurred between 4.5 and 20.5 million years ago.
The Big Picture
This discovery extends the study of triple-double radio galaxies, which represent a known but rare phenomenon in extragalactic radio astronomy. Identifying a quadruple-double system shifts the theoretical limit for how many distinct episodes a single black hole can produce in its lifetime.
While this discovery is currently limited to astronomical research, understanding black hole jet wobbling provides insights into the evolution of galactic structures over millions of years. This data helps refine theoretical models used to map the life cycles of galaxies across the universe.
The takeaway
The discovery of J023721.13-010528.5 proves that galactic centers can remain active and shift their orientation over tens of millions of years. This finding highlights the complex and often unpredictable nature of long-term black hole activity.
Further reading
Learn more about high-energy extragalactic phenomena in our Physics section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Innovation News Network.
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