Speed of Light SHATTERED by Ancient Phenomenon

A view of Earth from space surrounded by a cosmic background

NASA scientists have measured the astonishing power and speed of black hole jets from the dawn of time, revealing cosmic forces that dwarf anything previously documented and raising fundamental questions about what American taxpayers are funding in space research.

Story Snapshot

Astronomers measured jets from supermassive black holes traveling at 92-99% the speed of light, located 11.6 billion light-years away
Jets carry roughly half the energy of material orbiting their black holes, marking the first direct measurements of such distant cosmic phenomena
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Very Large Array combined forces to detect these jets using cosmic microwave background radiation
Discovery challenges existing models of early universe black hole activity and demonstrates capabilities of federally-funded space telescopes

Unprecedented Cosmic Discovery at Dawn of Universe

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Large Array detected and measured jets from two supermassive black holes located 11.6 and 11.7 billion light-years from Earth. These jets, stretching over 300,000 light-years in length, travel at speeds between 92 and 99 percent the speed of light. The measurements represent the first time astronomers have directly quantified the power and velocity of jets from the early universe, when the cosmos was less than 2 billion years old.

Cosmic Microwave Background Illuminates Ancient Jets

The breakthrough came through a technique using the cosmic microwave background radiation, the faint afterglow of the Big Bang. In the early universe, this radiation was approximately 1,000 times denser than today. Electrons within the black hole jets boost these CMB photons into X-rays through inverse Compton scattering, making the jets visible to Chandra’s instruments. Only Chandra’s high-resolution X-ray imaging could resolve these two closely-spaced distant sources, demonstrating the unique capabilities of this federally-funded telescope that has operated for over two decades.

Jets Carry Half of Black Hole’s Energy Output

Analysis revealed that one jet carries approximately 50 percent of the energy contained in the hot gas orbiting its black hole, a surprisingly efficient energy transfer. This finding suggests supermassive black holes in the early universe extracted and channeled angular momentum through mechanisms like the Blandford-Znajek process, where magnetic fields extract rotational energy from spinning black holes. The jets’ power rivals local cosmic analogs despite forming when the universe was in its infancy, suggesting universal physical processes that remained consistent across cosmic history.

Implications for Early Universe Models

The measurements challenge existing theories about how supermassive black holes grew so rapidly in the early universe. If black holes channeled half their accretion energy into jets rather than radiation, they may have grown through super-Eddington accretion or mergers more efficiently than previously modeled. These findings will reshape scientific understanding of cosmic reionization and galaxy evolution, providing new data for simulations. The research demonstrates how collaborative efforts between NASA’s Chandra program and NRAO’s VLA advance astrophysics, though questions remain about the cost-effectiveness of maintaining these expensive telescope operations in an era of fiscal constraint.

While this discovery advances human knowledge of the cosmos, it also highlights the ongoing federal investment in space research programs. The Chandra X-ray Observatory and VLA together represent investments exceeding $100 million in operational costs, funded by American taxpayers. As citizens struggle with inflation and economic uncertainty, some may question whether such expenditures on studying distant black holes from billions of years ago represent the best use of public resources, even as these programs inspire STEM education and maintain America’s leadership in space science.