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Astronomers discover largest black hole jets, Porphyrion, stretching 23 million light-years across.
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The jets, equivalent to 140 Milky Way galaxies, originate from a supermassive black hole 7.5 billion light-years from Earth.
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Discovery sheds light on black hole activity’s role in shaping the universe’s development.
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering the largest black hole jets ever recorded. Dubbed Porphyrion, these colossal jets span an astonishing 23 million light-years, equivalent to 140 Milky Way galaxies lined up end to end.
The origin of these jets lies in a supermassive black hole located 7.5 billion light-years from Earth. This black hole expels matter at near-light speeds, with an energy comparable to trillions of stars. The discovery was made using Europe’s Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope and further observations from India’s Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).
Porphyrion’s immense size provides valuable insights into how black hole jets shape galaxies and their evolution. Typically, supermassive black holes reside at the center of galaxies, absorbing surrounding matter and ejecting it at extreme speeds. This feedback process plays a crucial role in galaxy formation.
The discovery of Porphyrion has significant implications for understanding the universe’s development. Researchers believe that black hole jets like Porphyrion could have played a more substantial role in shaping the universe than previously thought. Further studies aim to explore how these massive structures contributed to the spread of cosmic rays, magnetic fields, and heavy elements across galaxies.
