Something is killing-off galaxies by preventing the birth of stars—and astronomers now think they know why.
While studying 51 galaxies in a “galaxy-cluster” called the Virgo Cluster an international team of scientists have found that molecular gas—the fuel for new stars—is being “swept away by a huge cosmic broom.”
Exactly what is preventing nearby galaxies from birthing new stars has been a long-standing mystery in astrophysics. The new paper, now available online, blames the extreme environment of the Virgo Cluster. It’s been accepted by the journal Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.
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