NASA's IXPE reveals X-ray-generating particles in black hole jets

NASA’s IXPE Solves Mystery of X-Ray Emissions from Supermassive Black Hole

A supermassive black hole, blazar BL Lacertae, has finally revealed how these cosmic features generate X-rays, thanks to new international research using NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). Blazar BL Lacertae’s jets point directly toward Earth, pouring forth from the supermassive black hole surrounded by a brilliant halo, which presents an optimal condition for the scientific study of its X-rays. The new work proves that electron a…

NASA Cracks 30-Year X-ray Mystery With Blazing Black Hole Light Show

Astronomers using NASA’s IXPE satellite have finally cracked a cosmic mystery—how X-rays are produced in the energetic jets of supermassive black holes like the blazar BL Lacertae. The blazar BL Lacertae—a type of active galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole with bright, fast-moving jets ai

NASA's IXPE reveals X-ray-generating particles in black hole jets

The blazar BL Lacertae, a supermassive black hole surrounded by a bright disk and jets oriented toward Earth, provided scientists with a unique opportunity to answer a longstanding question: How are X-rays generated in extreme environments like this?

The Interaction of Fast-Moving Electrons and Photons Drives X-Ray Emission in Blazar Jets

A recent study utilized NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarized Explorer) to analyze a highly relativistic jet originating from the Blazar Bl Lacertae, a supermassive black hole surrounded by luminous discs. This artist’s rendering illustrates the core area of Blazar Bl Lacertae, featuring an ultra-massive black hole surrounded by bright discs and Earth-directed jets. Image credit: [...] Source The post The Interaction of Fast-Moving Electrons and …

NASA Sonification of Black Holes Preview What They Could Sound Like

NASA’s sonification of black holes turns space data into sounds to show different parts of black holes and their surroundings. This uses info from telescopes like NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), and others to make three cosmic soundscapes. First, there’s WR124, a huge, short-lived star about [...]

NASA Solves Black Hole Jet X-ray Mystery with IXPE’s Polarization Powers

NASA’s IXPE satellite may have solved a longstanding astrophysical mystery: how are X-rays produced in the extreme jets of supermassive black holes? By observing the blazar BL Lacertae, IXPE recorded low X-ray polarization versus very high optical polarization—confirming Compton scattering as the likely mechanism. This breakthrough supports the electron-photon interaction theory over proton-based explanations.