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First Triple Radio AGN Galaxy system discovery

Astronomers Discover First-Ever Triple Galaxy System with Three Active Supermassive Black Holes

Artist’s impression of the rare triple galaxy system J1218/1219+1035, showing three merging galaxies whose actively feeding, radio-bright supermassive black holes power jets that illuminate the surrounding gas. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/P. Vosteen.

Rare Triple Radio AGN Found 1.2 Billion Light-Years from Earth

Astronomers have confirmed the first-ever triple system in which all three galaxies harbour actively feeding, radio-bright supermassive holes.

Known as J1218/1219+1035, the system lies around 1.2 billion light-years from Earth and consists of three interacting galaxies, each with a central black hole actively drawing in material and emitting strong radio signals.

High-impact astronomers discoveries and deep-space research are regularly covered at FSNews365, which tracks cutting-edge development in astrophysics and cosmology.

Radio Observations Confirm Three Active Galactic Nuclei

High-resolution observations from the U.S. National Science Foundation's Very Large Array and Very Long Baseline Array revealed compact, synchrotron-emitting radio cores in all three galaxies, confirming the presence's of active galactic nuclei. This discovery makes J1218/1219+1035 the first confirmed "triple radio AGN" and only the third triple AGN system identified in the nearby universe.

A Rare Triple Galaxy Merger in Action

The three galaxies in J1218/1219+1035 were observed in the midst of a merger, separated by roughly 22,000 and 97, 000 light-years. Together, they form a gravitationally bound system, with tidal structures revealing the ongoing pull of their mutual interactions.

Optical DeCaLS grz imagery alongside radio observations from the VLA showing the system J1218/J1219+1035. Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae2002.

Such triple systems are a rare but crucial prediction of hierarchical galaxy evolution, the process by which massive galaxies like the Milky Way grow through repeated collisions and mergers with smaller neighbours.

Broader perspectives on cosmic evolution, planetary systems and large-scale environmental forces shaping the universe are also explored at Earth Day Harsh Reality.

How the Triple AGN Was Discovered

By capturing three actively accreting black holes within a single merging group, the new observations offer a unique natural laboratory for exploring how galaxy encounters funnel gas towards galactic centers and trigger the growth of supermassive black holes.

J1218/1219+1035 first caught astronomers attention in mid-infrared observation from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), which hinted at the presence of at least two heavily obscured Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) within an interacting galaxy pair.

Subsequent optical spectroscopy confirmed an AGN in one nucleus and identified a "composite" signal in another, but the true nature of the third galaxy remained uncertain, as its emissions could also be explained by star formation or shock activity.

It was only with ultra-high-resolution radio imaging from the Very Large Array, taken at 3, 10 and 15 GHz, that astronomers detected compact radio cores perfectly aligned with all three optical galaxies. This finally confirmed that each galaxy hosts a radio-bright AGN, likely powering small-scale jets or energetic outflows.

Radio Signatures Provide Final Confirmation

The radio spectra from all three cores display features characteristic of non-thermal synchrotron emission linked to active galactic nuclei. Two of the sources show the steep spectra typically associated with AGN, while the third exhibits an even steeper profile, hinting at unresolved jet activity.

Although VLBA observations did not reveal a compact core milliarcsecond scales, they placed a brightness temperature limit on the central galaxy that exceeds levels expected from star formation alone, strengthening the case for an AGN-driven origin.

Taken together, the results confirm that J1218/1219+1035 is not only a triple AGN system, but an exceptionally radio-active one, with all three supermassive black holes shining simultaneously in radio wavelengths.

Implications for Galaxy and Black Hole Evolution

"Triple active galaxy system like this are exceptionally rare, and observing one in the midst of a merger offers an unparalleled view of how massive galaxies and their central black holes evolve together," said Dr Emma Schwartzman of the U.S. Naval Research laboratory, lead author of the study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

"By confirming that all three black holes in this system are radio-bright and actively producing jets, we have transformed the idea of triple radio AGN from a theoretical prediction into an observed reality, opening an entirely new window on the life cycle of supermassive black holes."

The study also has indirect relevance for understanding extreme cosmic environments and their potential effects on matter, radiation and long-term cosmic stability — themes often examined in relation to human knowledge and future risks at Human Health Issues.

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