It is definitely an unusual observation, but I don't think it's really that big of a deal. A strong gravitational field would pull matter closer together, possi

It is definitely an unusual observation, but I don't think it's really that big of a deal. A strong gravitational field would pull matter closer together, possibly kick-starting the fusion process if the energy density gets high enough in a certain region. If you asked an astrophysicist what would happen to a massive dust and gas cloud near a black hole, star formation would be 2 or 3 on the list that they rattle off. > But the gentler outflow of gas from the black hole in Henize 2-10 is compressed just enough to facilitate star formation. It's a Goldilocks thing. Black hole is strong enough to have a significant gravity, but weak enough that the shell of hot dense matter it harbors doesn't completely obliterate everything that falls toward it.