Astronomers measure the mind-blowing power and speed of black hole jets for the first time
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Scientists have measured the power and speed of jets emanating from a black hole for the first time, finding they are equivalent to 10,000 suns and travel at half the speed of light. The discovery was made in the Cygnus X-1 black hole-star system, located 7,200 light-years away.
For the first time, scientists have measured the power and speed of jets blasting from a black hole. The Cygnus X-1 system, 7,200 light-years away, features a black hole and a blue supergiant star. Researchers used 18 years of high-resolution radio imaging to track the jets' power and speed, finding they are equivalent to 10,000 suns and travel at 355 million mph, half the speed of light. The jets are bent by the star's wind, allowing scientists to calculate their power. The discovery helps understand how black holes shape galaxies and cosmic structures. The team plans to apply similar techniques to other black holes to measure their jet power.
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