They discovered the accelerator by merging X-ray data from the Chandra observatory with imaging from other facilities, including the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the Keck Observatory and the Subaru telescope.

Astronomers have seen these behaviors in isolation before, but this is the first time they've witnessed both acting in concert. This also answers a riddle that has baffled scientists for a while: why were there gigantic twisting radio emissions emanating from the colliding clusters (Abell 3411 and Abell 3412)? It won't be shocking if there are other examples of this acceleration in the universe, but seeing just one has already explained a lot.