Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have observed incredibly powerful jets emanating from supermassive black holes in the early universe. These jets, fueled by matter falling into the black holes, provide insights into the extreme physics at play billions of years ago.
The research, published on June 9, 2025, reveals jets exceeding 300,000 light-years in length, originating from black holes 11.6 and 11.7 billion light-years away. These jets are so distant that their detection relies on the interaction of high-energy electrons with the cosmic microwave background radiation, boosting photons into detectable X-ray wavelengths.
These findings, presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in June 2025, offer a unique opportunity to study how black holes influenced their surroundings during a critical period in cosmic history, known as “cosmic noon.” The study suggests that some black holes may have had a larger impact than previously thought.