Zach Uy
OCTOBER 24, 2024
Jets emitted by the newly discovered supermassive black hole.
Video from Science Communication Lab as cited in CNN Science.
Researchers have discovered a pair of massive jets emanating from a supermassive black hole located 7.5 billion light-years from Earth. These jets, spanning an astonishing 23 million light-years, have been the largest ever observed.
Black holes have a powerful gravitational pull that can suck in nearby material. Some of this material, however, can be ejected at near-light speeds, creating jets on either side of the black hole. Radio telescopes can detect these jets due to their radiation.
In a study published on September 18 by Nature, a scientific journal, astronomers described how they spotted these jets in 2018 while observing the sky with Europe's Low-Frequency Array radio telescope (LOFAR).
This discovery challenges our understanding of giant black hole jets and their impact on the cosmos. Scientists must reassess their theories about these objects and their role in shaping the universe.