For more than a century, astronomers have marveled at the brilliant jet of matter blasting from the heart of the giant elliptical galaxy M87.
Now, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided the clearest-ever infrared view of this cosmic powerhouse, revealing fresh details about the black hole-driven jet, and even catching sight of its elusive twin streaming in the opposite direction.
In the new JWST image, the jet appears as a luminous pink ribbon unfurling across a hazy violet backdrop. The stream of charged particles shoots a few thousand light-years from M87's central black hole. Bright knots glow along its length, tracing where particles are accelerated to near-light speeds.
And, for the first time in infrared light, Webb has captured the faint counter-jet about 6,000 light-