APOD: 2024 October 1 – Porphyrion: The Longest Known Black Hole Jets

Good morning and Happy Fiscal New Year 2025, Rallypoint. Welcome to the October 1st edition of Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). Or perhaps we should say Astronomy Video of the Day (AVOD). This animated clip (50 seconds) provides a three-dimensional perspective of Prophyrion, the longest known black hole jets ever discovered (so far). How long? 23 million light years.

Named for a giant in Greek mythology, scientists believe Prophyrion lies some 7 billion light years from Earth (not exactly in our corner of the galactic neighborhood). it was discovered by astronomers using the International Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Telescope, a network of radio sensors centered in the Netherlands, and stretching from Sweden to Bulgaria, and from Ireland to Latvia. Radio telescopes like LOFAR detect electromagnetic radiation (e.g. light, in this case, radio waves) that is invisible to our eyes.

The source of these jets is believed to be a super-massive black hole. Jets are integral to the ecosystem of matter that shapes our universe. Intergalactic matter feeds into galaxies, galaxies make stars, some galaxies even make black holes, black holes create a jet, the jet affects the intergalactic matter, and around we go.