Dark matter could magnify the jets of a ravenously feeding supermassive black hole

Astronomers have observed a jet emanating from a supermassive black hole in a blazar, revealing a significant gravitational lensing effect. This lensing is caused by an undetected concentration of dark matter situated between Earth and the blazar. Scientists believe this phenomenon offers a potential avenue for studying exotic “ghost” particles, also known as axions, which are theorized to interact weakly with ordinary matter. The distorted image provides a unique opportunity to analyze the properties of dark matter itself. Researchers hope that further investigation will illuminate the nature of these elusive cosmic components and their role in shaping spacetime.