News Astronomy

A stream of cold gas is unexpectedly feeding the far-off Anthill Galaxy

The stream could keep the galaxy supplied with star-forming fuel for a billion years

A telescope image of a long stream of cold cosmic gas seen as a blue line coming off a big purple circle on a dark background.

A long stream of cold cosmic gas, highlighted in light blue, flows into the Anthill Galaxy in this image from the ALMA telescope array. A large reservoir of gas inside the galaxy is shown in purple and dark blue.

B. Emonts/NRAO/AUI/NSF

By Lisa Grossman

A long, cold stream of gas is feeding a very distant galaxy like a vast bendy straw.