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Black Hole Shoots Powerful Jet That Can Destroy Planets

February 5, 2026 — Astronomers have discovered one of the most powerful events in the universe. A supermassive black hole is shooting a jet of energy that can destroy planets.

The Discovery

Scientists first saw this event in 2018. At that time, a star went too close to a black hole. The black hole tore the star apart. This is called a “tidal disruption event.”

For a few years, nothing special happened. But in 2022, the black hole started shooting a powerful jet of particles. The jet is moving almost at the speed of light.

More Powerful Than the Death Star

Dr. Yvette Cendes studies this jet. She compared it to the Death Star from Star Wars. “Planets are going to be destroyed for the first few light-years,” she said.

The jet is so special that scientists gave it a funny nickname: “Jetty McJetface.”

The Numbers

The black hole is in a galaxy 665 million light-years away from Earth. The jet is now 50 times brighter than when scientists first saw it. And it’s still getting stronger!

Scientists think the jet will be most powerful in 2027.

What Scientists Will Do Next

Astronomers want to find more events like this one. A new telescope called the Square Kilometer Array will help them search the sky for more powerful jets.

Vocabulary Help 📚

Grammar Focus 🎯

Past Tense vs Present Tense: - “Scientists first saw this event in 2018.” (past) - “The jet is moving almost at the speed of light.” (present) - “Scientists think the jet will be most powerful in 2027.” (future prediction)

We use past tense for completed actions and present tense for current situations.

Source: Space.com