SMRTR Science & EngineeringMay 10, 2026Interesting Engineering

Scientists track black hole jet in action at nearly half the speed of light

SMRTR summary

Scientists have directly measured the real-time power of a black hole jet for the first time, using the Cygnus X-1 system located 7,200 light-years away. By tracking how the companion star's stellar winds bent and "danced" the jets, researchers calculated the jets travel at nearly half the speed of light, carrying energy equal to roughly 10,000 suns, with about 10% of infalling matter converted into jet energy.

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