Black Hole With Powerful Jet Illuminated By Universe's 'Oldest Light' Spotted
The black hole is located 11.6 billion light-years from Earth, when the cosmic microwave background (CMB) was much denser than it is now. During this time, most galaxies and supermassive black holes were growing faster than at any other time during the history of the universe.
"As the electrons in the jets fly away from the black hole, they move through the sea of CMB radiation and collide with microwave photons," NASA stated, adding: "These collisions boost the energy of the photons up into the X-ray band, allowing them to be detected by Chandra even at this great distance, which is shown in the inset."
The jets extending from these black holes can extend millions of light-years in length. They are exceedingly bright because when particles approach the speed of light, they give off a tremendous amount of energy and behave in weird ways that Albert Einstein predicted.
Two other black holes
Additionally, the researchers confirmed the existence of two different black holes with jets over 300,000 light-years long. Situated 11.6 billion and 11.7 billion light-years away, particles in one jet are moving at between 95 per cent and 99 per cent of the speed of light (called J1405+0415) and the other at between 92 per cent and 98 per cent of the speed of light (J1610+1811).
In January, scientists stumbled upon a supermassive black hole, located a whopping 12.9 billion light-years from Earth, with its jet pointing straight at us. Named J0410-0139, the black hole has a mass of about 700 million Suns and is one of the oldest of its kind that scientists have ever observed.
When one of these jets points directly at Earth, scientists call the black hole system a blazar. Notably, a jet racing at near-light speed but angled away from us can appear just as bright as a slower jet pointed directly at Earth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
16 minutes ago
- Economic Times
ISRO-NASA launch NISAR to scan earth's surface twice every 12 days
In the works for over a decade, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched their first joint weather satellite on Wednesday at 5:40 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) will track movements in polar ice, forest biomass, wetlands, and changes in the earth's crust. The data generated from the satellite will be made freely available to researchers and governments worldwide, making it a global asset for climate research, disaster response, and natural resource management. This is the first such collaboration between the two space agencies. The NISAR satellite will orbit earth for at least three years, using its sophisticated radar systems to scan nearly all of the planet's land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days.'Separation confirmed. Each stage, precisely. Cryo ignition and Cryo stage performance flawless. GSLV-F16 delivered NISAR to orbit,' ISRO said in a statement post the satellite has been developed at $1.5 billion, making it one of the most expensive weather satellites and an Indo-US space collaboration. It is also the world's first radar imaging satellite to use both NASA-developed L-band and ISRO's S-band SAR technology, allowing for high-resolution monitoring of land and surface changes. 'It will support monitoring of infrastructure, such as dams, bridges, and roadways. The satellite's cloud-penetrating ability will help urgent-response communities during weather disasters such as hurricanes, storm surges, and floods,' NASA US agency has contributed the L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a high-rate telecommunication subsystem, GPS receivers, and a deployable 12-metre unfurlable antenna. ISRO, on its part, has provided the S-band SAR payload, the spacecraft bus to accommodate both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and all associated launch satellite's data will also be used for sea ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm tracking, crop mapping, and changes in soil moisture. NISAR will take about 90 days to start capturing data and sending it back to ground stations. 'While this mission was primarily led by national agencies, it paves the way for the dynamic Indian private space sector to actively contribute to such cutting-edge collaborations in the near future,' said Lt Gen AK Bhatt (retd), director general, Indian Space Association (ISpA). He added that this is a landmark mission in international cross-border space collaboration, showcasing the strength of ISRO and NASA's scientific partnership in advancing earth observation. Weighing 2,392 kg, NISAR features NASA's 12 m unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated with ISRO's modified I3K satellite bus. Union science and technology minister Jitendra Singh said the satellite is a game-changer in the precise management of disasters like cyclones and floods. 'The inputs from NISAR will benefit the entire world community, in the true spirit of 'Vishwabandhu,' he wrote on X.
News18
43 minutes ago
- News18
Andhra CM, Jagan congratulate ISRO on NISAR satellite launch
Amaravati, Jul 30 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday congratulated ISRO on the successful launch of NISAR–NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite. The Chief Minister hailed the successful collaboration between ISRO and NASA for NISAR and the use of GSLV-F16 for this mission. 'My congratulations to the scientists who successfully launched the NISAR satellite, a joint effort by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA, through the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle," said Naidu in a post on X. The successful launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) in Tirupati district is a matter of pride for us as Telugu people, he said. This highly powerful earth observation satellite is immensely useful, said the CM, adding that the progress India is achieving in the fields of science and technology is a symbol of our self-confidence. 'Best wishes to all the scientists and teams involved in this remarkable achievement," Reddy added. PTI STH ROH view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 23:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
ISRO-NASA launch NISAR to scan earth's surface twice every 12 days
In the works for over a decade, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched their first joint weather satellite on Wednesday at 5:40 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) will track movements in polar ice, forest biomass, wetlands, and changes in the earth's crust. The data generated from the satellite will be made freely available to researchers and governments worldwide, making it a global asset for climate research , disaster response , and natural resource management. This is the first such collaboration between the two space agencies. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Finance PGDM Project Management Healthcare healthcare MBA Digital Marketing Technology Management Degree CXO Others Data Science others Design Thinking Product Management Public Policy Operations Management MCA Cybersecurity Data Analytics Artificial Intelligence Leadership Data Science Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Fintech & Blockchain India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta SEPO - IIMC CFO India Starts on undefined Get Details The NISAR satellite will orbit earth for at least three years, using its sophisticated radar systems to scan nearly all of the planet's land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days. 'Separation confirmed. Each stage, precisely. Cryo ignition and Cryo stage performance flawless. GSLV-F16 delivered NISAR to orbit,' ISRO said in a statement post the launch. The satellite has been developed at $1.5 billion, making it one of the most expensive weather satellites and an Indo-US space collaboration. It is also the world's first radar imaging satellite to use both NASA-developed L-band and ISRO's S-band SAR technology, allowing for high-resolution monitoring of land and surface changes. 'It will support monitoring of infrastructure, such as dams, bridges, and roadways. The satellite's cloud-penetrating ability will help urgent-response communities during weather disasters such as hurricanes, storm surges, and floods,' NASA explained. The US agency has contributed the L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a high-rate telecommunication subsystem, GPS receivers, and a deployable 12-metre unfurlable antenna. ISRO, on its part, has provided the S-band SAR payload, the spacecraft bus to accommodate both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and all associated launch services. The satellite's data will also be used for sea ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm tracking, crop mapping, and changes in soil moisture. NISAR will take about 90 days to start capturing data and sending it back to ground stations. 'While this mission was primarily led by national agencies, it paves the way for the dynamic Indian private space sector to actively contribute to such cutting-edge collaborations in the near future,' said Lt Gen AK Bhatt (retd), director general, Indian Space Association (ISpA). He added that this is a landmark mission in international cross-border space collaboration, showcasing the strength of ISRO and NASA's scientific partnership in advancing earth observation . Weighing 2,392 kg, NISAR features NASA's 12 m unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated with ISRO's modified I3K satellite bus. Union science and technology minister Jitendra Singh said the satellite is a game-changer in the precise management of disasters like cyclones and floods. 'The inputs from NISAR will benefit the entire world community, in the true spirit of 'Vishwabandhu,' he wrote on X.
