M87's Black Hole Spins at 80% of Cosmic Speed, Accelerating Matter Intake

The supermassive black hole in galaxy M87 is spinning at about 80% of the maximum possible speed, with material falling into it at 23% of light speed, and it is consuming a modest amount of matter annually. These findings, derived from Event Horizon Telescope images, support the idea that the black hole's energy powers its jet, and provide new insights into black hole physics and their role in galaxy evolution.