A massive spiral galaxy nearly a billion light-years away may reveal the Milky Way’s future, as a black hole fires deadly radio jets.

Far beyond the edge of what the naked eye can see, a giant spiral galaxy has offered scientists a glimpse into a possible future for our own. The galaxy, known only by a string of numbers and letters—2MASX J23453268−0449256—sits nearly a billion light-years away. But the powerful forces at work inside it could one day shape the fate of the Milky Way.