The findings, reported in the prestigious Astrophysical Journal this month, has far-reaching significance. Other than the unprecedented size of the beam which is twice the previously recorded length, it could help reveal how jets of matter bind themselves together. Also the jet, emitted from a large active galaxy called CGCG 049-033, strongly supports the black-hole ejection theory held by scientists, said Bagchi.

“There are two types of galaxies — ordinary, like our Milky way, and unusual active galaxies. In the nucleus of the active galaxies, also called radio galaxies, high energy processes go on. These are still beyond our complete comprehension. One such process is the high energy intergalactic particle beams that come out in the form of radio jets. The massive size of the radio jet indicates that it must have been ejected from an ultra-massive black hole, a billion times the size of the sun, located at the centre of the galaxy. With this discovery we hope to know how a black hole ejects the jets and what keeps them intact up to millions of light years,” said Bagchi who chanced on this beam while scanning other objects in 2004. Since then the scientists had been working on the findings that were finally revealed earlier this month.

A third telescope, the Effelsberg Radio Telescope, in Germany was also involved in the discovery, making this a joint Indo-German initiative.

“The discovery is significant in the context of the fact that this is the first major observation to come out of the Giravali Optical Telescope that has just recently been commissioned,’’ added Bagchi.

The jet beam has other unusual features — while most jets come in pairs, pointing in opposite directions, this one gives the impression of a single beam. Plus it has a very strong and and unusual `corkscrew’ like magnetic structure. Magnetic fields act like containing sheaths preventing high-pressure gas in a jet from dispersing.