Astronomers Discover Record-Breaking Black Hole Jet in Young Universe

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Astronomers have identified the largest black hole-launched jet recorded in the early universe, measuring at least 200,000 light-years long—twice the width of the Milky Way. This discovery pertains to a quasar designated J1601+3102, existing when the universe was only 1.2 billion years old. Notably, the black hole fueling this quasar has a mass of approximately 450 million solar masses, which is considered relatively small compared to other quasars, according to Anniek Gloudemans, a team leader at NOIRLab.

Previous theories suggested that extremely massive black holes were essential for producing such powerful jets. However, this finding indicates that substantial jets can arise even from smaller black holes. The twin-lobed jet was first detected using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope network in Europe and was further studied using other telescopes to explore its characteristics. The discovery offers new insights into the formation and impact of early supermassive black holes and their jets on galaxy evolution, as reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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