Astronomers Using Chandra Data Produce the Most Detailed View of the M87 Jet in X-rays

Between 2012 and 2025, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has been monitoring the jet launched by the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of the M87 galaxy. By combining these observations with advanced image-processing techniques, an international team of researchers tracked the evolution of the jet's structures and created the most detailed X-ray view of it to date. Their results were presented at the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society held in Pasadena, California, from June 14-18th.