[glenc (Glen)]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7148671.stm

A powerful jet of particles from a "supermassive" black hole has been seen blasting a nearby galaxy, according to findings from the US space agency. Galaxies have been seen colliding before, but this presents a rare example of one galaxy "attacking" another with a particle beam.
This could have a profound effect on any planets in the jet's path and could also trigger a burst of star formation.
The findings are to be published in the Astrophysical Journal.
They were obtained using Nasa's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer Space Telescope, as well as the Very Large Array (VLA) and Merlin radio telescopes.
The event is occurring in a system called 3C321. It contains two galaxies in orbit around one another which are in the process of merging. The data show that both galaxies contain supermassive black holes at their centres. But the larger galaxy - dubbed the "death star galaxy" by the astronomers - has a jet emanating from the vicinity of its black hole.
The unfortunate smaller galaxy has apparently swung into the jet's line of fire...