A black hole launched a jet through space. NASA captured stunning images.
Exceptional cosmic view.
The galaxy M87, a cosmic colossus that houses several trillion stars, stands out in the universe, particularly due to its supermassive black hole at the center, which is projecting a jet of energy into space. This phenomenon has recently been captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency. The resulting image shows a jet of superheated gas extending over 3,000 light-years.
The jet, resembling a "torch," is causing numerous stars along its path to experience explosions. Alek Lessing, a researcher at Stanford University, comments on the importance of the finding, indicating that its existence suggests that there is still information missing about how black hole jets interact with their surroundings.
Although black holes do not emit light, the material swirling around them forms an accretion disk that is indeed luminous. Sometimes, the material falling into a black hole is directed towards two jets that are projected in opposite directions. The galaxy M87, with its giant ellipsoidal shape and described as "a white and translucent cotton ball," presents in the Hubble image an intense blue jet emanating from the galactic core.
The jet is generating stellar explosion events known as novae. These eruptions occur in binary star systems where there is an aging star, which is ejected layers of its mass, and a white dwarf, the hot core of a sun-like star that has lost its mass. The expanding star pours material, mainly hydrogen, onto the white dwarf. When the latter accumulates a dense layer of hydrogen, this surface explodes with significant force.
Researchers have observed that there are twice as many novae in the vicinity of the blue jet compared to other areas of M87. Lessing hypothesizes that the jet could be accumulating hydrogen on the white dwarfs, making these explosive events more frequent. However, there are various theories that could also explain this phenomenon.
Astronomers will continue their surveillance of this energetic region of space, gradually unraveling the cosmic mystery it represents.
