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Aug 16, 2022

Astronomers Reveal Most Detailed Radio Image Of A Supermassive Black Hole Jet Yet

Posted by in category: cosmology

Having a virtual telescope the size of Earth continues to pay off.


The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has released new observations that are once again at the cutting edge of science. The team that gave us the first image of our very own supermassive black hole has now revealed the most detailed radio image of a blazer, J1924-2914.

A blazar, not to be confused with a bright dinner jacket, is an active supermassive black hole whose jet is being shot towards us. The EHT has delivered observations with unprecedented angular resolution: it can resolve structures within 3 light-years of the black hole. Not bad given the host galaxy is located over 4 billion light-years from us.

Published in The Astrophysical Journal, the achievement is based on data conducted during the original observation campaign in April 2017 that gave us the first-ever image of a black hole. The team studied structures just a few light-years in size to hundreds of light-years wide thanks to the combination of multiple observatories around the world acting as one Earth-sized telescope.

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