Captivating First Image of Black Hole Jet Unveiled by Astronomers

 Astronomers have recently revealed the groundbreaking first image of a black hole emitting a powerful jet. This supermassive black hole, known as M87, is situated at the heart of the Virgo Galaxy A and is roughly 55 million light-years away from our planet. The black hole possesses an immense mass equivalent to six and a half billion suns. Observations of this phenomenon were conducted in 2018 using the Global Millimeter VLBI Array, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and the Greenland Telescope.

Supermassive black holes are typically found at the center of most galaxies and are known for their ability to emit potent jets of matter that can extend beyond the galaxy itself. Scientists are now attempting to understand the mechanisms behind these emissions using the newly unveiled image. The image reveals that the jet's base is connected to the matter orbiting the black hole.

The black hole's accretion disk comprises hot material that orbits around it, emitting electromagnetic radiation in the process. The visible ring structure in the image is formed as the black hole bends and absorbs some of the light.

In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) first captured the black hole's shadow, located at the center of the mentioned ring. Similar to that historical image, data from various global radio telescopes were combined using a technique called interferometry. This method simulates a telescope with dimensions comparable to Earth, achieving a resolution unattainable by a standard telescope. This time around, radio waves with a longer wavelength of 3.5 millimeters were detected, as opposed to the previous 1.3 millimeters.

The newly observed ring is approximately 50% larger than the one captured by the EHT, revealing more material being drawn into the black hole. Further observations at other radio frequencies are planned to continue studying the M87 black hole's jet.

Source: ESO.

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