Caltech Astronomers Capture Black Hole Blazar Jet Towards Earth

Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have released striking new video footage capturing a supermassive black hole spewing a jet of plasma directly towards Earth. This visualization combines 27 years of telescope observations of the blazar 3C 345, located approximately 5.5 billion light-years away in the constellation Hercules.

The achievement is attributed to a novel video-reconstruction algorithm called "kine." This technology allows researchers to process and combine image data to create a high-resolution view of the blazar's jet, offering a level of detail previously unattainable. "We are all very excited by the amount of resolution and contrast that we can get thanks to our new algorithm," said lead researcher Dr. Marianna Foschi.

Unlike traditional methods that might require waiting for next-generation telescopes, the kine algorithm provides enhanced imaging capabilities through advanced software. This allows scientists to observe not only the overall velocity of the plasma jet but also the varying speeds of different components within it. "But in this case thanks to our algorithm we get this basically for free," Foschi added.

A blazar is defined as an active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole, from which a jet of plasma is ejected at speeds approaching the speed of light. When this jet is oriented towards Earth, the phenomenon is observable as a blazar. The research detailing the development of kine and its application to 116 observations of blazar 3C 345 between 1995 and 2022 has been published in a scientific journal.