Astronomers Discover Largest Black Hole Jets

Astronomers have discovered the largest known black hole jets, dubbed Porphyrion, stretching 23 million light-years or 140 times the diameter of the Milky Way, breaking the previous record by 7 million light-years. These jets, observed using the LOFAR radio telescope and spanning multiple radio telescopes across Europe, originate from a black hole in a galaxy 7.5 billion light-years away. The immense size and energy of Porphyrion, equivalent to trillions of suns, challenge existing theories about black hole jets and their potential impact on galaxy formation. The discovery suggests that such jets could have significantly influenced the early universe's structure, particularly the cosmic web of galaxies. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology emphasize the need to study these jets further to understand their role in shaping the cosmos.