Scientists witness cosmic spider spinning twisted jet of plasma from supermassive black hole
A team of astronomers has captured the most detailed image ever of a jet of plasma spewing from a supermassive black hole. The jet, which is 570 light-years long and twisted like a cosmic rope, is being blasted out at near the speed of light from a distant blazar named 3C 279.
The observations, made with a network of radio telescopes that combine to form an Earth-sized antenna, could challenge current theories about how these jets are formed and evolve.
“This is the most detailed look we’ve ever had at the base of an astrophysical jet,” said lead author Dr. José Gómez of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía in Spain. “The complex, twisted pattern we see near the jet’s source is unlike anything we’ve seen before.”
The discovery could help scientists to better understand the physics of supermassive black holes and the role they play in the evolution of galaxies.
Here is a more simplified version:
Scientists have captured the first image of a twisted jet of plasma spewing from a supermassive black hole.
The jet, which is 570 light-years long and moving at near the speed of light, could challenge our understanding of how these jets are formed and evolve.
The discovery could help us to better understand supermassive black holes and their role in the universe.