Astronomers have detected an unprecedented cosmic tempest in the deep universe. A distant quasar, powered by a feeding supermassive black hole, is blasting out galactic winds at a staggering 30% of the speed of light. Clocking in at approximately 201 million miles per hour (323 million kilometres per hour), this outbound torrent stands as the fastest black hole wind ever observed, specifically within ultraviolet wavelengths.&nbsp;To put these extreme speeds into a terrestrial context, researchers have looked to the Saffir-Simpson scale used to measure tropical cyclones on Earth. While a standard Category 5 hurricane features devastating sustained winds of 157 mph or higher, the sheer velocity of this deep-space outflow operates on an entirely different scale, says a study published in The Astrophysical Journal.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/straight-out-of-science-fiction-scientists-want-to-spray-a-giant-shield-to-protect-earth-from-solar-storms-bizarre-science-news-1781081111671">Giant shield around Earth? Scientists propose bizarre plan to stop solar storms</a>&nbsp;"In terms of its speed, this quasar's wind could be called a category 79 hurricane," said Lucas Seaton, the team leader and a researcher from York University, in a statement published by York U. The colossal engine driving this record-breaking phenomenon is a quasar known as J2318. Located roughly 3 billion light-years away from Earth, J2318 is an active galactic nucleus, a hyper-luminous region at the centre of a galaxy where a supermassive black hole aggressively devours surrounding matter.<h2>Why Black Hole winds matter</h2>&nbsp;Supermassive black holes do not just consume matter; their powerful feedback mechanisms actively reshape their host environments. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) routinely expel massive amounts of energy back into their host galaxies.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/next-weight-loss-breakthrough-astrazeneca-tests-a-daily-pill-1780986473092">Next weight-loss breakthrough? AstraZeneca tests a daily pill</a>&nbsp;When black hole winds reach extreme speeds like those clocked in J2318, they can clear vast reservoirs of cold gas out of the host galaxy's central regions. Because this cold gas is the foundational ingredient needed to form new stars, these high-velocity winds effectively "quench" star formation, steering the structural evolution of the entire galaxy.By studying outliers like J2318, astrophysicists gain a clearer understanding of the boundary limits of black hole accretion and the profound, tempestuous relationship between a galaxy and its central behemoth.

Astronomers detect the fastest black hole winds ever recorded, tearing through space at an astonishing 30% of the speed of light.

Astronomers have detected an unprecedented cosmic tempest in the deep universe. A distant quasar, powered by a feeding supermassive black hole, is blasting out galactic winds at a staggering 30% of the speed of light. Clocking in at approximately 201 million miles per hour (323 million kilometres per hour), this outbound torrent stands as the fastest black hole wind ever observed, specifically within ultraviolet wavelengths. To put these extreme speeds into a terrestrial context, researchers have looked to the Saffir-Simpson scale used to measure tropical cyclones on Earth. While a standard Category 5 hurricane features devastating sustained winds of 157 mph or higher, the sheer velocity of this deep-space outflow operates on an entirely different scale, says a study published in The Astrophysical Journal. Also read: Giant shield around Earth? Scientists propose bizarre plan to stop solar storms "In terms of its speed, this quasar's wind could be called a category 79 hurricane," said Lucas Seaton, the team leader and a researcher from York University, in a statement published by York U. The colossal engine driving this record-breaking phenomenon is a quasar known as J2318. Located roughly 3 billion light-years away from Earth, J2318 is an active galactic nucleus, a hyper-luminous region at the centre of a galaxy where a supermassive black hole aggressively devours surrounding matter. Why Black Hole winds matter Supermassive black holes do not just consume matter; their powerful feedback mechanisms actively reshape their host environments. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) routinely expel massive amounts of energy back into their host galaxies. Also read: Next weight-loss breakthrough? AstraZeneca tests a daily pill When black hole winds reach extreme speeds like those clocked in J2318, they can clear vast reservoirs of cold gas out of the host galaxy's central regions. Because this cold gas is the foundational ingredient needed to form new stars, these high-velocity winds effectively "quench" star formation, steering the structural evolution of the entire galaxy. By studying outliers like J2318, astrophysicists gain a clearer understanding of the boundary limits of black hole accretion and the profound, tempestuous relationship between a galaxy and its central behemoth.

Astronomers detect the fastest black hole winds ever recorded, tearing through space at an astonishing 30% of the speed of light.

Cosmic Tempest: Record-breaking black hole winds clocked at 30% the speed of light

The official number of exoplanets or planets outside our solar system, tracked by NASA has reached 6,000. 

The official number of exoplanets or planets outside our solar system, tracked by NASA has reached 6,000.&nbsp;

Star Wars-style sunsets, diamond rain and doomed planets: 6 of the most extraordinary exoplanets of 2025

An international team of astronomers have recently observed a dramatic event unfolding in the heart of NGC 3783, a spiral galaxy located about 130 million light-years from Earth. At its centre lies a supermassive black hole around 30 million times the mass of the Sun. Astronomers detected a bright X-ray flare erupting from the black hole, before swiftly fading away. As it faded, powerful winds emerged, blasting material into space at approximately 60,000 km per second, about one-fifth the speed of light. These winds were generated so quickly that researchers were able to watch them form over the course of a single day. “We’ve not watched a black hole create winds this speedily before,” said Liyi Gu, the lead researcher at&nbsp;Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON).&nbsp;<h2>Devouring material</h2>&nbsp;This discovery was made through coordinated observations by the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton and the XRISM mission, an X-ray telescope developed by JAXA with ESA and NASA participation. XMM-Newton monitored the bright flare and tracked changes in the region’s X-ray emission, while XRISM’s sensitive instruments measured both the speed and structure of the emerging winds. The flare’s rapid rise and decline appeared to trigger the ultra-fast outflow, offering new insight into how black holes influence their surroundings. According to ESA, the black hole in question is as massive as 30 million Suns. As it feasts on nearby material, it powers an extremely bright and active region at the heart of the spiral galaxy. &nbsp;The work has been published in Astronomy and Astrophysics.&nbsp;<h2>A link to solar physics and galaxy evolution</h2>&nbsp;The characteristics of this event have surprising parallels with phenomena seen on our own Sun. The winds from the black hole bear resemblance to solar eruptions from material known as coronal mass ejections. These are powerful eruptions of plasma and magnetic field that the Sun periodically hurls into space. This analogy arises because, as the X-ray flare faded, tangled magnetic fields of the Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) of the black hole may have 'untwisted', launching the high-speed winds, similar to the flares that erupt from the Sun, but on a scale almost too big to imagine.&nbsp;

As it faded, powerful winds emerged, blasting material into space at approximately 60,000 km per second, about one-fifth the speed of light.

An international team of astronomers have recently observed a dramatic event unfolding in the heart of NGC 3783, a spiral galaxy located about 130 million light-years from Earth. At its centre lies a supermassive black hole around 30 million times the mass of the Sun. Astronomers detected a bright X-ray flare erupting from the black hole, before swiftly fading away. As it faded, powerful winds emerged, blasting material into space at approximately 60,000 km per second, about one-fifth the speed of light. These winds were generated so quickly that researchers were able to watch them form over the course of a single day. “We’ve not watched a black hole create winds this speedily before,” said Liyi Gu, the lead researcher at Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON). Devouring material This discovery was made through coordinated observations by the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton and the XRISM mission, an X-ray telescope developed by JAXA with ESA and NASA participation. XMM-Newton monitored the bright flare and tracked changes in the region’s X-ray emission, while XRISM’s sensitive instruments measured both the speed and structure of the emerging winds. The flare’s rapid rise and decline appeared to trigger the ultra-fast outflow, offering new insight into how black holes influence their surroundings. According to ESA, the black hole in question is as massive as 30 million Suns. As it feasts on nearby material, it powers an extremely bright and active region at the heart of the spiral galaxy. The work has been published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. A link to solar physics and galaxy evolution The characteristics of this event have surprising parallels with phenomena seen on our own Sun. The winds from the black hole bear resemblance to solar eruptions from material known as coronal mass ejections. These are powerful eruptions of plasma and magnetic field that the Sun periodically hurls into space. This analogy arises because, as the X-ray flare faded, tangled magnetic fields of the Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) of the black hole may have 'untwisted', launching the high-speed winds, similar to the flares that erupt from the Sun, but on a scale almost too big to imagine.

As it faded, powerful winds emerged, blasting material into space at approximately 60,000 km per second, about one-fifth the speed of light.

Astronomers observe a flaring supermassive black hole firing winds at 60,000 km/s!

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Cosmic Tempest: Record-breaking black hole winds clocked at 30% the speed of light

6 of the most extraordinary exoplanets discovered in 2025

Astronomers observe flaring supermassive black hole firing winds at 60,000 km/s!