An artist's illustration of the longest black hole jet system ever observed, spanning 23 million light-years in total length, a distance equal to about 140 times the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy. (Photo: Reuters)

Black hole unleashes two energy beams 140 times bigger than the Milky Way

The jets consist of electrons, positrons, and magnetic fields accelerated to nearly the speed of light, resulting from the violent events surrounding the black hole.

by · India Today

In Short

  • The jets were observed using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope
  • They extend about 140 times the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy
  • It has been named "Porphyrion" after a giant in Greek mythology

Astronomers have detected the largest pair of black hole jets ever observed, stretching an astonishing 23 million light-years across space.

These colossal beams of energy, dubbed "Porphyrion" after a giant in Greek mythology, emanate from a supermassive black hole located in a galaxy 7.5 billion light-years away from Earth.

The jets, observed using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope network, extend about 140 times the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy. This unprecedented scale surpasses the previous record-holder by approximately 30%, marking a significant milestone in our understanding of cosmic phenomena.

Martijn Oei, the lead author of the study published in Nature, describes these jets as "among the most energetic spectacles that have occurred in the universe since the Big Bang."

The jets consist of electrons, positrons, and magnetic fields accelerated to nearly the speed of light, resulting from the violent events surrounding the black hole.

Scientists have given the jet system the nickname Porphyrion, the name of a giant from ancient Greek mythology. (Photo: Reuters)

Martin Hardcastle, a co-author of the study, explains that such jets form when magnetized material falls onto a rotating black hole. The sustained growth of these jets over approximately a billion years requires a continuous infall of matter, equivalent to about one solar mass per year.

The discovery of Porphyrion provides valuable insights into the influence of black holes on the large-scale structure of the universe.

These jets may play a crucial role in distributing energy, particles, and magnetic fields into the voids of the cosmic web, potentially affecting the formation of new stars and the habitability of planets in their path.

This finding challenges our previous understanding of the reach of individual black holes, suggesting that their sphere of influence can extend far beyond their host galaxies.

As researchers continue to study Porphyrion, it may offer new perspectives on the evolution of galaxies and the intricate dynamics of the cosmos.