Hubble Detects Smallest Known Dark Matter Clumps

The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration released the first image of a black hole with observations of the massive, dark object at the center of Messier 87, or M87, last April. This black hole has a mass of about 6.5 billion times that of the sun and is located about 55 million light years from Earth. The black hole has been called M87* by astronomers and has recently been given the Hawaiian name of "Powehi."

For years, astronomers have observed radiation from a jet of high energy particles—powered by the black hole—blasting out of the center of M87. They have studied the jet in radio, optical, and X-ray light, including with Chandra. And now by using Chandra observations, researchers have seen that sections of the jet are moving at nearly the speed of light.

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Credit: NASA/CXC

Chandra Wide-field View of M87; box shows the approximate location of the wide-field jet image above.

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The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration released the first image of a black hole with observations of the massive, dark object at the center of Messier 87, or M87, last April.

This black hole has a mass of about 6.5 billion times that of the sun and is located about 55 million light years from Earth.