What happens when two galaxies collide?

In this episode, science journalist Paul Adepoju speaks with astronomers Thato Manamela and Roger Deane about the discovery of one of the most distant and powerful cosmic lasers — a gigamaser — ever detected.

Using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, the team identified an extraordinary signal coming from a pair of merging galaxies more than eight billion light-years away. These rare natural lasers, known as megamasers, form under extreme conditions and can act as cosmic beacons, revealing intense star formation, hidden galaxy mergers, and possibly even pairs of supermassive black holes.

The discovery offers a glimpse into how galaxies evolved in the early universe and highlights the growing role of African-led astronomy ahead of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) — the world’s largest radio telescope.

Adepoju also discusses the story behind the research and the reporting process behind his Nature Africa article on the discovery.

🔭 In this episode:

What cosmic megamasers and gigamasers are
Why galaxy collisions create powerful radio signals
How the MeerKAT telescope detected this rare phenomenon
What this discovery reveals about the early universe
Why Africa is becoming a global hub for radio astronomy

📖 Read the full story in Nature Africa:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-026-00055-6

A Cosmic Laser from Eight Billion Years Ago