Why NASA scientists are surprised by the discovery of 'tipped-over' black hole

NASA scientists have made an unexpected discovery about a supermassive black hole in the galaxy NGC 5084. The black hole is behaving in a way that has left astronomers surprised and puzzled.

This finding came from a fresh look at old data using new imaging techniques. Though NGC 5084 has been known to scientists for years, the latest study revealed unusual features at the galaxy’s center. Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center used data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the black hole’s behavior. They discovered four long plumes of hot, charged gas, or plasma, shooting out from the black hole. These plumes were in two pairs: one pair extending above and below the galaxy’s plane, while the other pair lies within the plane, forming an "X" shape. Such X-shaped plasma is highly unusual, as most galaxies have only one or two plumes.

What makes the discovery even more surprising is the orientation of the black hole and its dusty disk. Both were found to be tilted 90 degrees compared to the rest of the galaxy. This means the black hole and its disk are "lying on their sides." This tilted position is not what scientists expected and adds a new layer to our understanding of black holes.

One possible explanation is that NGC 5084 might have collided with another galaxy in the past, which could have caused the black hole to tilt and formed the plasma plumes.