Published on Feb. 28, 2026
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Scientists have discovered that active supermassive black holes can have a profound influence on the evolution of neighboring galaxies, effectively ‘killing off’ star formation across vast intergalactic distances. The research, led by Yongda Zhu of the University of Arizona, found that galaxies within a million light-years of a powerful quasar show much less evidence of recent star birth compared to more distant galaxies.
Why it matters
This finding suggests that galaxy evolution may be more of a ‘group effort’ than previously thought, with active supermassive black holes acting as ‘cosmic predators’ that can impact the growth of stars in nearby galaxies. Understanding how these galactic giants influence their cosmic neighborhoods helps shed light on the early universe and the formation of our own Milky Way galaxy.
The details
The team studied one of the brightest known quasars, J0100+2802, which is powered by a supermassive black hole 12 billion times the mass of the Sun. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, they searched for traces of ionized oxygen – a sign of recent star formation – in the galaxies surrounding the quasar. They found this star birth tracer was much scarcer in galaxies within a million light-years of the powerful quasar compared to more distant galaxies. This indicates the quasar’s intense radiation is suppressing star formation in its cosmic neighborhood.
The team’s results were published on December 3, 2025 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.The James Webb Space Telescope began investigating the curious pattern of quasars being surrounded by fewer neighboring galaxies than expected.
The players
Yongda Zhu
The lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Arizona.
J0100+2802
One of the brightest known quasars, powered by a supermassive black hole 12 billion times the mass of the Sun.
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What they’re saying
“Traditionally, people have thought that because galaxies are so far apart, they evolve largely on their own. But we found that a very active, supermassive black hole in one galaxy can affect other galaxies across millions of light-years, suggesting that galaxy evolution may be more of a group effort.”
— Yongda Zhu, Lead author, University of Arizona (The Astrophysical Journal Letters)
“An active supermassive black hole is like a hungry predator dominating the ecosystem. Simply put, it swallows up matter and influences how stars in nearby galaxies grow.”
— Yongda Zhu, Lead author, University of Arizona (The Astrophysical Journal Letters)
What’s next
The team now intends to look for this effect in other quasar fields to develop a clearer picture of how supermassive black holes influence their cosmic neighborhoods.
The takeaway
This research suggests that active supermassive black holes can act as ‘cosmic predators,’ exerting a profound influence on star formation in galaxies across intergalactic scales. This finding challenges the traditional view of galaxies evolving in isolation and highlights the interconnected ‘galactic ecosystem’ that shapes the early universe.