Astronomers Spot a Black Hole with a Cosmic Wingspan
Astronomers discovered Porphyrion, a black hole emitting the largest known jet system, extending 23 million light-years. Its energy output equals over a trillion stars, impacting galaxy evolution and cosmic structure.
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Astronomers have discovered a black hole named Porphyrion, which is emitting energy in jets that extend 23 million light-years into intergalactic space, making it the largest known jet system. This discovery, reported in Nature, reveals two jets shooting in opposite directions, each approximately 140 times longer than the width of the Milky Way galaxy. The black hole is located in a galaxy 7.5 billion light-years away, existing when the universe was less than half its current age. The energy output from Porphyrion is equivalent to that of over a trillion stars, raising questions about the influence of such black holes on the evolution and structure of the universe. The research team, led by Martijn Oei from Caltech, utilized a European network of radio antennas to map the sky, uncovering this and other giant jets. The findings suggest that these jets could significantly impact the growth of galaxies and the distribution of energy in the cosmos. The team has identified around 8,000 jets longer than three million light-years so far, indicating that many more may exist yet to be discovered.
- Astronomers discovered the largest known black hole jet system, Porphyrion, extending 23 million light-years.
- The black hole is located in a galaxy 7.5 billion light-years away and existed when the universe was less than half its current age.
- The energy output from Porphyrion is equivalent to that of over a trillion stars.
- The discovery raises questions about the influence of black holes on galaxy evolution and cosmic structure.
- The research team has identified around 8,000 jets, suggesting many more giant jets may be found.
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