Utilizing the Event Horizon Telescope, a celestial-scale network comprising eight ground-based radio observatories, astronomers have pinpointed the probable genesis point of a colossal cosmic outflow emanating from the core of Messier 87.
This Webb/NIRCam image depicts a cosmic jet within Messier 87. Image attribution: Jan Röder / Maciek Wielgus / Joseph B. Jensen / Gagandeep S. Anand / R. Brent Tully.
Messier 87, a vast elliptical galaxy situated approximately 53 million light-years distant in the Virgo constellation, is the subject of this investigation.
Also designated as M87, Virgo A, or NGC 4486, this galaxy harbors a supermassive black hole whose mass is estimated to be about six billion times that of our Sun.
This immense black hole serves as the engine for a luminous, narrowly focused stream of particles that propels outward from the galaxy’s nucleus, extending an astonishing 3,000 light-years into the void.
To conduct investigations of such minute regions at such extreme distances, astronomers collaborate by linking radio telescopes across the planet, effectively creating a singular, virtual observatory of Earth’s size, known as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT).
Through an analysis of EHT observations of M87 from the year 2021, researchers compared the apparent brightness of radio emissions across varying spatial scales.
Their findings indicated that the luminous annulus encircling the black hole alone could not account for all of its emitted radio light. An additional, compact source, located approximately 0.09 light-years from the black hole, was identified, aligning with the predicted position of the jet’s origin point.
“By establishing the exact location where the jet originates and its connection to the silhouette of the black hole, we are contributing crucial elements to our understanding,” stated Saurabh, a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and an active participant in the EHT Collaboration.
“New observational data, presently undergoing processing with the assistance of our global consortium of partners, will shortly incorporate an expanded array of telescopes, thereby enabling the observation of intermediate baselines,” remarked Dr. Sebastiano von Fellenberg, an astrophysicist affiliated with the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.
“This enhancement will facilitate an even more precise visualization of the region where the jet is initiated.”
“Our current objective transcends mere calculation of these structures’ positions; we are progressing towards the direct imaging of these phenomena.”
“The prevailing hypothesis suggests that these jets are propelled by harnessing the black hole’s rotational energy through electromagnetic forces, thereby creating a unique environment where the principles of general relativity and quantum electrodynamics interact,” explained Professor Bart Ripperda, also from the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.
“Witnessing the mechanism by which jets are launched in such close proximity to the black hole’s event horizon represents a significant stride in comprehending the nature of black holes!”
“Empirical data empowers scientists to rigorously test theoretical models concerning the interplay of gravity and magnetism within the universe’s most extreme settings, bringing us closer to deciphering the ‘engines’ that sculpt entire galaxies.”
The outcome of this research was disseminated on January 28, 2026, within the pages of the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
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Saurabh et al. 2026. Probing jet base emission of M87* with the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope observations. A&A 706, A27; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202557022
