Astronomers in Awe of Terrifying “Eye of Sauron” That’s Pointed Straight at Earth

Astronomers have imaged a distant blazar, PKS 1424+240—nicknamed the “Eye of Sauron”—whose supermassive black hole shoots a jet of plasma and cosmic radiation directly toward Earth from 7.4 billion light‑years away. Despite its brightness, the blazar poses no danger. Observations revealed it emits massive amounts of gamma rays and neutrinos, yet its jets appear slower than expected due to an optical illusion caused by their direct alignment with Earth. The study also mapped the jet’s spiral magnetic field, offering insights into supermassive black holes and cosmic jet dynamics.