Ancient Quasar Unleashes Monster Radio Jet Across the Early Universe

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Astronomers have discovered a massive radio jet streaming from a quasar that dates back to the first billion years of the universe. This jet, twice the width of the Milky Way, is the largest ever detected from such an early cosmic period. Though radio jets are commonly found in the nearby universe, their presence in the distant early universe has remained elusive—until now—due to interference from the cosmic microwave background left over from the Big Bang.  

 

“It’s only because this object is so extreme that we can observe it from Earth, even though it’s really far away,” said lead author Anniek Gloudemans of the National Science Foundation’s NoirLab in a statement.  

The discovery, detailed in the *Astrophysical Journal Letters*, was made possible through the combined efforts of observatories across Europe, Hawaii, and Texas. The double-sided radio jet is estimated to span at least 200,000 light-years, a staggering distance considering a single light-year equals 5.8 trillion miles.  

 

The quasar powering this jet was discovered just a few years ago and is believed to have formed when the universe was only 9% of its current age—within the first 1.2 billion years. Quasars, some of the brightest objects in existence, are galactic cores where gas and dust spiral into a black hole, generating immense amounts of energy and making them shine intensely across the cosmos.  

 

Despite its incredible power, the quasar’s black hole is not unusually massive. However, its mass is still immense—equivalent to 450 million times that of our sun. The discovery of this extraordinary radio jet offers scientists a rare glimpse into the early universe, providing valuable insights into the formation and evolution of quasars during the universe’s infancy.

 

Based on a report by The Independent 2025-02-10