A black hole jet is aimed at us … and it’s in our galaxy
Astronomers have discovered a black hole in the Milky Way galaxy, about 12,000 light-years away, that is firing a jet of particles directly towards Earth. This system, known as IRAS 18293-0941 or a microblazar, consists of a stellar-mass black hole with a mass of up to a few hundred times that of the sun, feeding on material stripped from a massive companion star.
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- ✓ The black hole is located about 12,000 light-years away in the Milky Way galaxy.
- ✓ The system is known as IRAS 18293-0941 or a microblazar.
- ✓ The black hole has a mass of up to a few hundred times that of the sun.
- ✓ The black hole is feeding on material stripped from a massive companion star.
What changed
The identification of IRAS 18293-0941 as the first microblazar in the Milky Way with a jet aimed at Earth is a recent development, announced on September 22, 2026.
Live updates
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Black Hole Jet in Milky Way Aimed at Earth
Astronomers have discovered a black hole in the Milky Way galaxy, about 12,000 light-years away, that is firing a jet of particles directly towards Earth. This system, known as IRAS 18293-0941 or a microblazar, consists of a stellar-mass black hole with a mass of up to a few hundred times that of the sun, feeding on material stripped from a massive companion star.
Why it matters
The discovery of this microblazar provides new insights into the physics of black holes and their jets. Black holes are known to shoot jets out into space, but it is rare for these jets to be aimed directly at Earth. The finding of a microblazar in the Milky Way offers a unique opportunity to study these phenomena up close.
What is confirmed
- The black hole is located about 12,000 light-years away in the Milky Way galaxy.
- The system is known as IRAS 18293-0941 or a microblazar.
- The black hole has a mass of up to a few hundred times that of the sun.
- The black hole is feeding on material stripped from a massive companion star.
- The black hole fires twin jets of particles at near light-speed.
- One of the jets is aimed directly at Earth.
What to watch next
- Further studies on the properties of IRAS 18293-0941
- Investigation of the impact of the jet on the surrounding environment
- Search for more microblazars in the Milky Way galaxy
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (12)
- EarthSky — A black hole jet is aimed at us … and it’s in our galaxy
- Scientific American — Scientists just found a bizarre cosmic object ‘hiding in plain sight’
- Space — Astronomers discover the 1st black hole powered 'microquasar' in the Milky Way
- zmescience.com — Astronomers Find a Black Hole Pointing a Jet Towards Earth — And It May Solve a Cosmic Mystery
- Phys.org — Milky Way's first microblazar may produce fastest particles in the galaxy
- earthsky.org — A black hole jet is aimed at us … and it’s in our galaxy
- www.newsbeep.com — A black hole jet is aimed at us … and it’s in our galaxy
- www.cosmosweek.com — A black hole jet is aimed at us … and it’s in our galaxy
- news.sciandnature.com — Astronomers have found a black hole in our own galaxy firing ...
- www.martincid.com — A black hole 12,000 light-years away is pointing its jet ...
- www.skyatnightmagazine.com — There's an enormous black hole pointing its jet at Earth ...
- news.ssbcrack.com — Astronomers Discover Microblazar in Our Galaxy with Jet Aimed ...
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