'A scale almost too big to imagine': Scientists spot monster black hole roaring with winds at more than 130 million mph

An illustration of a flaring black hole releasing a powerful blast of wind.

Astronomers have spotted a supermassive black hole whipping up cosmic winds at record speeds.

The black hole, located 135 million light-years from Earth in the center of the NGC 3783 spiral galaxy, caught researchers' attention after emitting a huge X-ray flare. As the burst died down, it left winds of more than 37,000 miles per second (60,000 kilometers per second) — one-fifth the speed of light — howling in its wake.