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Astrophysicists Uncover Black Holes' 'Cosmic Seesaw' Behavior

1/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Astrophysicists report that supermassive black holes exhibit a 'cosmic seesaw,' alternating between jets and winds but never both at once.
Using data from NASA's NICER X-ray telescope and South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope, researchers studied the black hole 4U 1630-472 for three years.
They conclude outflow balance shapes black hole evolution and star formation, and magnetic field changes in the accretion disk likely drive the jet–wind switch.

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Story summary

Astrophysicists report that supermassive black holes exhibit a 'cosmic seesaw,' alternating between jets and winds but never both at once.
Using data from NASA's NICER X-ray telescope and South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope, researchers studied the black hole 4U 1630-472 for three years.
They conclude outflow balance shapes black hole evolution and star formation, and magnetic field changes in the accretion disk likely drive the jet–wind switch.