Big Bang Afterglow Boosts Distant Black Hole Jet

Space





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B3 0727+409 as seen in X-ray by Chandra. NASA/CXC/ISAS/A.Simionescu et al,

A lucky discovery has allowed astronomers to probe the very early universe. The collision between light from the cosmic microwave background and the jet from a supermassive black hole has made the jet 150 times brighter, revealing some of its features from when it was emitted over 11 billion years ago.