Astronomers Find a 200 1m5o30 000-Light-Year Black Hole Jet in the Early Universe

A quasar from the early universe has revealed the longest black hole jet ever detected, spanning 200,000 light-years. 2g3tx

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 10 February 2025 12:39 IST

Astronomers Find a 200,000-Light-Year Black Hole Jet in the Early Universe

Photo Credit: Pixabay/WebTechExperts 6m1j34

Astronomers spot the longest black hole jet in the early universe, spanning 200,000 light-years.

Highlights

200,000-light-year black hole jet detected in early universe
Quasar J1601+3102 hosts an immense yet unbalanced jet
Discovery reveals new insights into quasar evolution

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Astronomers have detected the longest black hole-driven jet observed in the early universe, stretching at least 200,000 light-years—twice the width of the supermassive black hole at the heart of this quasar is not among the most massive, with a mass of 450 million times that of the Sun.

Observations from Multiple Telescopes 5r5jz

According to LOFAR) Telescope, a network of radio telescopes spanning Europe. Additional observations were conducted using the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) and the Hobby Eberly Telescope. Scientists have been investigating quasars with strong radio jets to better understand their formation and their role in galactic evolution.

As reported by space.com, Anniek Gloudemans, a researcher at NOIRLab and the study's lead author, saidthat the findings suggest exceptionally massive black holes or high accretion rates are not always required to generate powerful jets in the early universe.

JWST Detects Unexpectedly Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe

Unusual Jet Structure 586b3k

The research revealed that the two jets emitted from J1601+3102 are not symmetrical. One is shorter and fainter than the other, indicating that environmental factors may be influencing their development. Differences in brightness and length suggest that interactions with surrounding matter could be affecting the jet's expansion.

Frits Sweijen, an astronomer at Durham University and part of the research team, said that initial expectations were that the southern jet would be much smaller and possibly unrelated. Observations from LOFAR, however, revealed intricate radio structures extending over vast distances.

Significance of the Discovery 3b3q3d

This discovery sheds light on how black holes and their jets influenced early galactic evolution. While supermassive black holes are found at the center of most galaxies, only some power quasars with visible jets. The detection of such an immense structure in the early universe demonstrates the effectiveness of combining data from telescopes operating at different wavelengths. Scientists now aim to determine the quasar's accretion rate to gain further insights into how these cosmic giants interact with their surroundings.

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