NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting a powerful jet from a supermassive black hole, J1610+1811, located 11.6 billion light-years away, dating back to the 'cosmic noon' period.

This quasar, observed during a time approximately three billion years after the Big Bang, showcases the early universe illuminated by the afterglow of the Big Bang.

The discovery was achieved in collaboration with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), which provided essential X-ray and radio data about the jet.

The jet from J1610+1811 extends over 300,000 light-years, making it three times wider than the Milky Way, with particles traveling at speeds nearing 99% of the speed of light.

This jet is estimated to carry about half the energy of the intense light emitted by gas orbiting the black hole, highlighting its immense power.

Detection of such jets is typically challenging due to their orientation away from Earth; however, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from the Big Bang facilitated Chandra's observation.

The visibility of the black hole's jet is attributed to its interaction with CMB radiation, where high-speed electrons boosted CMB photons into the X-ray range.

During cosmic noon, the CMB was denser, which allowed for collisions between electrons from the jet and CMB photons, resulting in the X-rays detected by Chandra.

Lead researcher Jaya Maithil presented these findings at the recent American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, and the results will be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program, with science operations led from the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Experts have expressed concerns that potential funding cuts to Chandra could severely impact X-ray astronomy in the U.S., resulting in a significant loss of knowledge in high-energy astrophysics.

Launched in July 1999, the future of the Chandra X-ray Observatory remains uncertain due to potential NASA budget cuts that could lead to its premature shutdown.