Astronomers detect powerful sonic booms from galaxy collision in Stephan's Quintet

Astronomers have recorded the most powerful sonic booms in the universe from a galaxy moving at 3.2 million km/h. This event occurred in Stephan's Quintet, where the galaxy NGC 7318b collided with four others, creating intense shockwaves. The discovery, published on November 22, highlights how the collision reactivated a field of debris from past galactic interactions. The observation was made using the WEAVE telescope in Spain. The shockwave produced has a dual nature, traveling at hypersonic speeds through cold gas and compressing hot gas, generating detectable radio waves. This phenomenon illustrates the dynamic activity within Stephan's Quintet, a group of five galaxies discovered in 1877.