Astronomers have discovered a top-tier collision with an unusual shape. The structure was nicknamed "Infinity Galaxy" because its silhouette resembles the infinity symbol.
However, the most striking thing is not its appearance. At the center, there could be a supermassive black hole in the process of forming, something that has never been seen so directly.
What is the "Infinity Galaxy" and why is it so special?
It is the merger of two very distant galaxies, captured by the James Webb telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The light emitted by this structure comes from about 13.3 billion years ago, when the universe was just 470 million years old.
Unique shape and enigmatic content
From Earth, the silhouette looks like a sideways eight. At the center of that figure, scientists detected a region of compressed gas that could be hiding a supermassive object.
