Scientists Find a Universal Rule for Black Hole Jets

Updated: September 19, 2026 Add as preferred source 3 min read Share this Article This artist's concept depicts a tidal disruption event, which occurs when a star passes fatally close to a supermassive black hole. Crumbs of the splintering star heat up as they swirl around the black hole, creating a glow astronomers can see from far across the cosmos, and the black hole launches a relativistic jet into space. NRAO/AUI/NSF/NASA Black holes of all sizes seem to follow the same playbook: when matter falls in, jets blast out. For stellar black holes , we can watch this happen quickly. For supermassive ones, changes take centuries, but rare tidal disruption events let us see the drama unfold in just a few years.