Jets from a hungry black hole blaze with the power of 10,000 suns

Astronomers using the Square Kilometre Array measured jets blasting from the Cygnus X-1 black hole as it siphons material from a blue supergiant companion. The jets carry about 10% of the energy of the infalling matter and emit as much energy as 10,000 suns, with speeds around half the speed of light. The finding provides a robust anchor for jet power in black holes and helps calibrate how these jets influence galaxies across the cosmos.