NASA finally cracks the X-ray mystery in black hole jets

Technology Dec 17, 2025

NASA's IXPE mission has solved a decades-old puzzle about where powerful X-rays in supermassive black hole jets actually come from.
After a marathon 600-hour observation of galaxy 3C 84, scientists confirmed it's speedy electrons scattering photons (via inverse Compton scattering) that create these intense X-rays.
The findings were published in November 2024.

Why does this matter?

This discovery clears up how energy moves through black hole jets, which is key for understanding how galaxies evolve and interact with their surroundings.
IXPE—a team-up between NASA, Italy's space agency, and scientists from 12 countries—launched in 2021 to dig into mysteries like this using cutting-edge X-ray tech.
Now we know a bit more about how our universe works!