Chandra spots detailed X-ray jet from M87*, refining black hole engine picture

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have produced the most detailed X-ray view yet of the jet from the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87 (M87*), revealing a complex, evolving flow and apparent superluminal motions over more than a decade. The data deepen understanding of how jets launch and accelerate particles and deposit energy into their host galaxy; M87* weighs about 6.5 billion suns and lies roughly 55 million light-years away. The findings were presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting and are available as a preprint on arXiv.