Astronomers discover binary system IRAS 18293−0941 with black hole jets

An international team of astronomers has discovered a unique binary system, designated IRAS 18293−0941, located approximately 12,000 light-years from Earth. The system consists of a massive star and a black hole orbiting each other every 11.38 days.

As the black hole pulls matter from the companion star, it generates two powerful, oppositely directed jets of matter traveling at nearly 75 percent of the speed of light. One of these jets is directed almost directly toward Earth, making it visible to researchers. This discovery provides potential evidence for the existence of “microblazars,” which are scaled-down versions of the energetic jets produced by supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei.

The research, led by astrophysicist Josep Martí from the University of Jaén in Spain, utilized Italian radio telescopes and was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.