"Located at the center of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87), the supermassive black hole M87* holds a special place in the science history books: it's the first black hole ever imaged and is the origin of what NASA has called one of nature's most amazing phenomena. That's because the black hole is spewing out a gigantic jet of material that is blazing a 3,000-light-year-long trail through the cosmos."
"M87* is both a messy and greedy eater: as dust and gas falls toward it, the black hole shoots out powerful jets of charged particles. But astronomers didn't exactly know where these jets originateduntil now. In new research published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, scientists lay out evidence of what they believe are the first hints of M87*'s jet base."
M87* sits at the center of Messier 87 and is the first black hole ever imaged. The black hole produces a 3,000-light-year jet of plasma that traces a blazing trail through the cosmos. As dust and gas fall toward the hole, M87* ejects powerful jets of charged particles. Astronomers had not known where those jets originate. Using Event Horizon Telescope observations, the team examined the glowing ring of superhot material around M87* and identified the probable position of the jet's base. The result can inform future studies of jet-launch mechanics in similar supermassive black holes.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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