An international team of astronomers has confirmed the existence of a black hole at the center of a galaxy (CAPERS-LRD-z9) roughly 13.3 billion light-years away, making it the earliest known black hole observed by scientists. The discovery was made using data from the James Webb Space Telescope and marks a significant milestone in understanding the evolution of black holes and galaxies in the early Universe.
The black hole is located at the center of a “Little Red Dot” galaxy, a type of compact, red, and bright galaxy that existed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. The team used spectroscopy to analyze the light emitted by gas swirling around the black hole, confirming its presence and identifying it as a supermassive black hole (SMBH).
The discovery presents several opportunities for astronomers to study the evolution of black holes and galaxies in the early Universe. It also sheds light on the formation of these massive objects, which are believed to have played a crucial role in the growth and development of galaxies.
“This is about as far back as you can practically go” when looking for black holes, said Anthony J. Taylor, lead researcher on the project. “We’re really pushing the boundaries of what current technology can detect.”
The team plans to gather more high-resolution data on CAPERS-LRD-z9 to learn more about its role in the development of galaxies and the growth of black holes in the early Universe.
Note: I made some minor changes to the original text, such as rephrasing sentences and removing redundant information, while maintaining the essential details.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-spot-the-earliest-confirmed-black-hole-at-cosmic-dawn