These jets become elusive the farther back in time astronomers try to look because of the so-called cosmic microwave background. The ancient radiation, the earliest fossil of light from 380,000 years after the Big Bang, tends to swamp out more subtle signals.

From decades of astronomical observations, scientists know that most galaxies contain massive black holes at their centers. The gas and dust falling into these black holes liberates an enormous amount of energy as a result of friction,

"Interestingly, the quasar powering this massive radio jet does not have an extreme black hole mass compared to other quasars."

Researchers said on Thursday that they had discovered twin-lobed radio jets they suspect were formed when the universe was 1.2 billion years old, stretching at least twice the length of the Milky Way galaxy.

Galaxies in a quasar state can release powerful jets from their active supermassive black holes. The jets can extend far into intergalactic space, even for millions of light-years. The process for many objects started a long time ago,

Astronomers have detected an enormous black hole-powered jet that stretches an astonishing 200,000 light-years, making it twice as long as the Milky Way. This colossal cosmic jet, erupting from the quasar J1601+3102,

By revealing a massive radio jet in the early universe, J1601+3102 offers a rare snapshot of early quasar activity.