Hubble Spots Black Hole Beam Causing Stellar Eruptions

In a surprise finding, astronomers, using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of M87, a huge galaxy 54 million light years away, seems to cause stars to erupt along its trajectory.

The stars, called novae, are not caught inside the jet, but in a dangerous area near it.

A nova erupts in a double-star system where an aging, swelled-up, normal star spills hydrogen onto a burned-out white dwarf companion star. When the white dwarf has collected a big enough layer of hydrogen, it explodes out into space.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer

Music Credit:
“Into Orbit” by Laurent Dury [SACEM] via Koka Media [SACEM] and Universal Production Music France, [SACEM] and Universal Production Music.

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Transcript
0:00
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope revealed that a jet of material ejected from a supermassive black hole triggers star eruptions along its path.
0:14
The jet was found at the center of galaxy M87.
0:22
These erupting stars aren’t caught inside the jet, but are dangerously nearby.
0:35
In double-star systems, an aging, swelled-up star spills hydrogen onto a white dwarf companion.
0:45
A white dwarf is a low-mass star that has exhausted all its central nuclear fuel.
0:54
When the white dwarf gathers enough hydrogen it erupts into space, in an event called a nova.
1:07
The white dwarf isn’t destroyed by the nova eruption…
1:12
…instead, it resumes siphoning fuel from its companion, restarting the nova-outburst cycle.
1:22
Hubble observed twice as many novae near the jet compared to other parts of the galaxy.
1:32
The jet is launched by a 6.5-billion-solar-mass black hole.
1:44
Engorged with infalling matter, the black hole shoots a 3,300-light-year-long plasma jet through space at nearly light speed.
1:56
The jet may be pushing hydrogen fuel onto white dwarfs, causing more frequent eruptions.
2:10
It’s also possible that the jet is heating the dwarf's companion star…
2:19
…leading it to overflow and deposit more hydrogen onto the white dwarf.
2:30
After more than 30 years of discoveries…
2:40
…the Hubble Space Telescope continues to uncover new mysteries that surprise astronomers.
2:50
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