Scientists were looking for a black hole in a galaxy 11 billion light-years away, but ALMA revealed a "factory" of neutrinos hidden by dust and powered by intense star formation.

Scientists were looking for a black hole in a galaxy 11 billion light-years away, but ALMA revealed a “factory” of neutrinos hidden by dust and powered by intense star formation.

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 20/06/2026 at 17:50

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Scientists targeted a possible supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy, but ALMA observations revealed that the likely source of energy was another: a compact, dusty, and extremely active region where intense star formation may be producing high-energy neutrinos.

Astronomers hoped to confirm the presence of a black hole in a distant galaxy linked to a high-energy neutrino. But the observations revealed another scenario: a cosmic factory fueled by intense star formation.

Distant galaxy became a target after IceCube signal

The case began with the event IC 210922A, detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. To trace its origin, an international team used ALMA and other telescopes.

The search led to the galaxy JCMT0402−0424, about 11 billion light-years from Earth. It is exceptionally luminous and appears associated with the investigated signal.

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Black hole did not appear in the data

The initial expectation was to find a supermassive black hole powering the distant galaxy. This type of source had previously been associated with neutrino-producing galaxies.

However, upon examining JCMT0402−0424, researchers did not find the energetic emissions typically linked to a powerful black hole. Radio observations reinforced this absence.

The galaxy is heavily shrouded in dust, making it difficult to view in visible light. In submillimeter wavelengths, however, it shines intensely.

Because of this combination of extreme brightness and hidden appearance, the team nicknamed the galaxy Shadow Blaster, or Explosion of Shadows.

Gravitational lens magnified the Shadow Blaster

The breakthrough came thanks to a favorable alignment. A galaxy between Earth and Shadow Blaster bent and amplified the radio waves of the distant galaxy.

This effect, known as gravitational lensing, acted as a natural telescope. It produced brighter and magnified images, allowing ALMA to observe internal details of the galaxy.

The measurements showed that gas and dust seem to be heated mainly by intense star formation, not by a supermassive black hole.

The researchers also identified a compact and dense core at the center of Shadow Blaster. Large amounts of gas and dust are concentrated in a region about 1,500 light-years in diameter.

Stars may explain part of the neutrinos

The results indicate that compact galaxies, rich in dust and with intense star formation, may have been underestimated as sources of high-energy neutrinos.

The analysis suggests that this type of galaxy could account for up to 20% of the total population of high-energy neutrinos observed in the Universe.

If new studies confirm this scenario, the discovery could change the way scientists understand the production of some of the most elusive particles in the cosmos.

The finding expands the role of starburst galaxies in the debate about neutrinos, showing that stellar activity, even hidden by dust, can leave detectable signals billions of light-years away.

What did you think of this discovery involving a black hole, neutrinos, and a galaxy hidden by dust? Leave your opinion in the comments and tell us if this star formation-based explanation surprised you more than the initial hypothesis of a supermassive black hole.

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Scientists were looking for a black hole in a galaxy 11 billion light-years away, but ALMA revealed a “factory” of neutrinos hidden by dust and powered by intense star formation.

Scientists targeted a possible supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy, but ALMA observations revealed that the likely source of energy was another: a compact, dusty, and extremely active region where intense star formation may be producing high-energy neutrinos.

Distant galaxy became a target after IceCube signal

Black hole did not appear in the data

Gravitational lens magnified the Shadow Blaster

Stars may explain part of the neutrinos

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Scientists were looking for a black hole in a galaxy 11 billion light-years away, but ALMA revealed a “factory” of neutrinos hidden by dust and powered by intense star formation.

Scientists targeted a possible supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy, but ALMA observations revealed that the likely source of energy was another: a compact, dusty, and extremely active region where intense star formation may be producing high-energy neutrinos.

Distant galaxy became a target after IceCube signal

Black hole did not appear in the data

Gravitational lens magnified the Shadow Blaster

Stars may explain part of the neutrinos

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Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

Described by astronauts as one of the most unlikely natural phenomena on Earth, the Okavango Delta spreads over up to 15,000 square kilometers in the middle of the desert and transforms Botswana into a living labyrinth of channels, islands, and flooded areas.

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