Ryan Whalen · December 10, 2025 Record-breaking ultrafast outflow (UFO) cosmic winds from a supermassive black hole flung matter across the universe at one-fifth the speed of light, according to new XMM-Newton and XRISM X-ray space telescope observations. From the spiral galaxy NGC 3783, a black hole generated UFO space winds that reached 60,000 kilometers per second, as observed by astronomers whose attention was caught by a bright X-ray flare preceding the space storm . The findings were reported in a recent paper published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, noting that no black hole had ever generated such a UFO in so short a time. Active Galactic Nucleus “We’ve not watched a black hole create winds this speedily before,” said lead author Liyi Gu of the Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON). “For the first time, we’ve seen how a rapid burst of X-ray light from a black hole immediately triggers ultra-fast winds, with these winds forming in just a single day.” The Hubble Space Telescope recently imaged the NGC 3783 spiral galaxy, where the event occurred. At the heart of the spiral is a supermassive black hole with the mass of 30 million Suns, powering the bright, active galactic core as it consumes local matter, in what is known as an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). Such AGNs not only produce light visible across great distances but also drive jets and winds that can travel far into the cosmos. “AGNs are really fascinating and intense regions, and key targets for both XMM-Newton and XRISM,” said co-author Matteo Guainazzi, an ESA XRISM Project Scientist. “The winds around this black hole seem to have been created as the AGN’s tangled magnetic field suddenly ‘untwisted’ – similar to the flares that erupt from the Sun, but on a scale almost too big to imagine.” Observing a Supermassive Black Hole UFO The two X-ray telescopes worked in tandem to observe the event. First, XMM-Newton’s Optical Monitor followed the initial flare’s evolution, before evaluating the winds with its European Photon Imaging Camera. XRISM followed up by observing the flare and winds with its Resolve instrument to determine their speeds and structures. “Their discovery stems from successful collaboration, something that’s a core part of all ESA missions,” says ESA XMM-Newton Project Scientist Erik Kuulkers. “By zeroing in on an active supermassive black hole, the two telescopes have found something we’ve not seen before: rapid, ultra-fast, flare-triggered winds reminiscent of those that form at the Sun. Excitingly, this suggests that solar and high-energy physics may work in surprisingly familiar ways throughout the Universe.” Space Weather Research On Earth, space weather is a significant local concern, particularly from coronal mass ejections generated by the Sun, which are a major driver of space weather in our solar system. Those events can push superheated material into space, and as recently as November 11 of this year, they were observed reaching speeds of 1,500 kilometers per second. Putting them into a more familiar context, the winds emanating from the supermassive black hole were in many respects similar to coronal mass ejections. See Also Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Found in Our Cosmic Backyard Given the impacts of space weather on our own concerns for the safety of satellite and electrical infrastructure, understanding how UFO winds and other space weather events affect their local galaxies could teach us much about the evolution of the universe. “Windy AGNs also play a big role in how their host galaxies evolve over time, and how they form new stars,” said co-author Camille Diez, a team member and ESA Research Fellow. “Because they’re so influential, knowing more about the magnetism of AGNs, and how they whip up winds such as these, is key to understanding the history of galaxies throughout the Universe.” The paper, “ Delving into the depths of NGC 3783 with XRISM III. Birth of an Ultrafast Outflow During a Soft Flare ,” appeared in Astronomy and Astrophysics on December 9, 2025. Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org , and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf . Source: https://thedebrief.org/x-ray-data-reveals-powerful-ufo-winds-generated-in-record-breaking-black-hole-event/