In a surprise finding, astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the blowtorch-like jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of a huge galaxy seems to cause stars to erupt along its trajectory.

The jets of material that spew from black holes catalyze stellar eruptions, surprising astronomers and raising questions about the jets' role in the universe.

Astronomers have spotted two giant plasma jets streaming from a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. At a mind-bending 23 million light-years long, they are the longest plasma jets on record.