Cosmic Sprinkler: Astronomers Discover Spiral Galaxy Spraying Superheated Gas Jets

• Astronomers observed galaxy VV 340a spraying enormous jets of superheated gas, challenging existing theories of spiral galaxy evolution.
• The galaxy, part of a distant interacting system undergoing a cosmic merger, surprisingly maintains a classic spiral shape despite the unusual activity.
• Astrophysicist Justin Kader highlighted this as the first observation of a galactic-scale precessing radio jet driving a massive coronal gas outflow.
• The jets, stretching nearly twenty thousand light years, eject extremely hot ionized gas that glows brightly in X-ray wavelengths.
• This discovery is significant as the gas removal by these jets can prevent cooling, thereby slowing or stopping new star formation within the galaxy.

Why It Matters: Astronomers found a spiral galaxy, VV 340a, spraying hot gas jets, challenging galaxy evolution theories.