A Discovery of a Microblazar
An invisible stream of superfast plasma is heading straight for Earth, and scientists are excited about it. This phenomenon provides the first evidence of a microblazar, a smaller version of a blazar—an active galactic nucleus featuring a supermassive black hole that emits high-speed jets of plasma. While scientists have long suspected the existence of microblazars in our galaxy, this is the first time one has been observed.
In a recent preprint study, researchers reported the discovery of a microblazar that was previously “hiding in plain sight,” according to Josep Martí, an astronomer at the University of Jaén in Spain and lead author of the paper.
Key Findings
- Distance: The system is located about 12,000 light-years from Earth and consists of a binary system with a star and black hole orbiting one another.
- Mechanism: The close proximity allows the black hole to draw material from the star, ejecting plasma at approximately three-quarters the speed of light.
- Previous Knowledge: Although astronomers were aware of this object, it was obscured by dust, which rendered it nearly invisible in standard optical images. It had been cataloged decades ago but not thoroughly studied until now.
Astronomers are interested in learning more about the microblazar, including its evolution and the interaction of its jets with the interstellar medium, as well as identifying the existence of more systems like it in our galaxy.
Publication Status
The study was released as a preprint on September 1 and has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
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