NASA has made a new discovery that has left the entire scientific community with their mouths open. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s a supermassive black hole, known as a “blazar.” The worst thing about this blazar is that it seems to be aiming its powerful jet of energy directly to Earth!! Space is a very curious thing, as you may know, but this cosmic monster is 12.9 billion light years away, which means that its light has travelled for almost the entire history of the universe before reaching us, so it’s something like a black hole from the past (very far past). Does this mean the end of the Earth in a few years? Are we in danger? We’re going to tell you everything we’ve learned from this incredible discovery.
What are we talking about?
As we said, a blazar with a non-galactic core, they have called it J0410-0139, and it shines with an intensity that was previously unknown, do you know why? Because one of its sources points directly at Earth. The study was carried out by astronomer Eduardo Bañados of the Max Planck Institute, and it has challenged what we know about the formation of black holes and the most incredible thing is that this discovery could tell us how black holes worked in the early universe (the one that existed billions of years ago when the Earth was just beginning to form)
What is a blazar?
A blazar is a type of active galactic nucleus (AGN), something similar to a black hole that is absorbing matter in an intense way. Among its characteristics, in this case, it stands out that it is located in the centre of a galaxy (in addition to being pointed directly at Earth), that it has jets and particles of energy that travel at the speed of light and that it emits extreme radiation of gamma rays, X-rays and radio waves.
Why is this particular blazar so special?
Let’s keep in mind that, as we have said, blazars are one of the most powerful sources of energy in the universe, and they are capable of devouring a large amount of matter at an extreme speed. In this process, they generate jets of energy that travel at speeds close to that of light.
What does this experiment show?
Basically, it shows how the first cosmic black holes were organized and grew in the early universe, since fundamental patterns have been discovered that have been used to describe this process. In addition, energetic jets not only help black holes grow, but also influence how they interact with their environment. Scientists will be able to use this knowledge to further study the role of magnetic fields in the evolution of the universe and the transformations of galaxies.
Does this change anything?
Of course, it changes everything we have learned so far about black holes with jets of energy, because those with this type grow much faster than those without, and the main reason is that the magnetic fields inside the jets alter the way matter is absorbed by the black hole, allowing it to gain mass at a much faster rate.
Should we worry?
No, this blazar does not pose a threat to Earth. Although it is sending a large amount of energy in our direction, it is at a safe distance, and the effects of its radiation are absorbed by our planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field, thank goodness!
While it may sound alarming that a “planet killer” is pointed towards Earth, it is actually a scientific treasure trove that gives us a unique glimpse into the history of the cosmos. And who knows, maybe this is just the first of many hidden blazars waiting to be discovered!