Black hole outburst 'Jetty McJetface' is one of the most energetic objects in the universe — and only growing brighter

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Scientists say a jet from a previously studied supermassive black hole has grown brighter, becoming one of the most energetic events in the universe.

An illustration of a black hole shredding a star and releasing an energy jet.
An illustration of a black hole shredding a star and releasing an energy jet. The powerful 'Jetty McJetface' feature was discovered in one such system. (Image credit: DESY, Science Communication Lab)

A jet from a supermassive black hole is getting more energetic with time, and is now believed to be one of the most energetic objects in the universe.

The jet — nicknamed "Jetty McJetface" — is emanating from a black hole that was previously studied in 2022, after it picked up a star and began shredding it to pieces, releasing the jet in the process. Now, some four years later, that bout of "cosmic indigestion" is still going strong, researchers said.

Cendes and her colleagues discovered the black hole in 2018, before publishing a paper in 2022 on the black hole's star-shredding behavior. Analysis of the radio waves blasting out of Jetty reveal that he black hole is roughly 50 times brighter than it was in 2019, emitting at least a trillion times the equivalent energy of the fictional Death Star of the "Star Wars" universe, according to the researchers.

New predictions suggest that the radio waves coming from the black hole will keep rising exponentially before peaking sometime in 2027.

Also, the team suggests the spaghettified star's radiation is blasting away from the black hole in a single direction, and likely not aimed at Earth. That may explain why the star wasn't seen near the black hole at first glance. But the team says more data will be required to verify that theory.

IN CONTEXT
Brandon Specktor profile pic
IN CONTEXT
Brandon Specktor

"Even without cute nicknames like 'Jetty McJetface,' black hole jets are major venues for astrophysical discoveries. Not only do they teach us more about the baffling behavior of black holes — like M87 (the first black hole to ever be imaged) — but they are also some of the most powerful particle accelerators in the universe, firing out matter at energy levels unattainable on Earth. Studying them could help shed light on the true nature of dark matter and other elusive particles."

Article Sources

Y. Cendes et al. (2026). Continued Rapid Radio Brightening of the Tidal Disruption Event AT2018hyz. The Astrophysical Journal. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae286d

Elizabeth Howell
Elizabeth Howell
Live Science Contributor

Elizabeth Howell was staff reporter at Space.com between 2022 and 2024 and a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams.

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