Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole at the center of an ancient galaxy called CAPERS-LRD-z9, just 500 million years after the Big Bang. This find is significant as it’s one of the earliest detections of its kind.
The team used data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to analyze the galaxy and found a distinct spectroscopic signature associated with a black hole. The discovery confirms that supermassive black holes are the source of unexpected brightness in these galaxies, which are known as little red dots.
CAPERS-LRD-z9 is notable for its massive black hole, estimated to be around 300 million solar masses, making it particularly large among supermassive black holes. The galaxy’s unique characteristics provide valuable insights into how these objects developed over time.
The discovery suggests that early black holes grew faster than previously thought and may have started out more massive than predicted models suggest. This finding is reported in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal.
Source: https://www.sci.news/astronomy/farthest-black-hole-yet-14233.html