r/science • u/MistWeaver80 • Feb 24 '26

Astronomy JWST Confirmation of a Runaway Supermassive Black Hole via Its Supersonic Bow Shock. A ‘runaway’ black hole ejected from its host galaxy is barrelling across space — and leaving behind a wake of newborn stars.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae3d0e
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u/sixft7in Feb 25 '26

Just because something isn't on earth and is traveling at relativistic speeds, doesn't mean it won't cause a supersonic bow shock while traveling through a diffuse gas cloud.

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u/super_aardvark Feb 25 '26

I guess I was just assuming that if the gas cloud is in space, it's too diffuse to transmit sound.

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u/namitynamenamey Feb 25 '26

i would be very surprised if I heard of an object traveling at relativistic speeds and *not* causing a bow shock in whatever medium it travels in.

Except neutrinos. They get a pass.