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At the Source of an Extragalactic Jet

Artist's concept of the formation region of M87's jet. An accretion disk (red-yellow) surrounds the black hole, and its magnetic field lines twist tightly to channel the outpouring subatomic particles into a narrow jet. The jet opens widely near the black hole, then is shaped into a narrower beam within a light-year of the black hole.
- Release DateOctober 27, 1999
- Science ReleaseVery Long Baseline Array Reveals Formation Region of Giant Cosmic Jet Near a Black Hole
- CreditNASA and Ann Feild (Space Telescope Science Institute)
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov