Astronomers have spotted a massive pair of jets releasing material from a distant black hole. The jets are so large they span about 140 Milky Way galaxies in length.

Nicknamed Porphyrion after a mythological Greek giant, these jets span roughly 7 megaparsecs, or 23 million light- years. That is equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back-to-back.

Porphyrion, by contrast, seems to have been happily powering its way through the cosmos for about 2 billion years, unperturbed. This is puzzling for two reasons. First, it isn't from around here.

Astronomers have seen the largest jets ever found erupting from a black hole. The giant jet system Porphyrion is 23 million light-years long, equal to 140 side-by-side Milky Way galaxies.

Astronomers have named the jets Porphyrion, after a giant from Greek mythology. They were spotted far enough away that the universe was only 6.3 billion years old – less than half its present age.

Nicknamed Porphyrion after a mythological Greek giant, these jets span roughly 7 megaparsecs, or 23 million light-years. That is equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back-to-back.

Astronomers have spotted two giant plasma jets streaming from a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. At a mind-bending 23 million light-years long, they are the longest plasma jets on ...

Porphyrion’s prodigious size — it outstretches the previous record holder by about 7 million light-years — hints that its influence could outstrip the bounds of mere galaxies.

An artist's illustration of the longest black hole jet system ever observed. Nicknamed Porphyrion after a mythological Greek giant, these jets span roughly 7 megaparsecs, or 23 million light-years.

Astronomers have spotted a massive pair of jets releasing material from a distant black hole. The jets are so large they span about 140 Milky Way galaxies in length.