A black hole of inexplicable mass
The James Webb Space Telescope observed galaxy J1120+0641, revealing a mature quasar with a billion solar mass black hole at cosmic dawn. This challenges theories on black hole growth, suggesting they may start with substantial masses. The study sheds light on early black hole development, showing unexpected normalcy in early quasars, challenging assumptions on their evolution.
Read original article
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observed a galaxy, J1120+0641, in its early stages, revealing a mature quasar at cosmic dawn with a black hole of inexplicable mass over a billion solar masses. This challenges existing theories on black hole growth, suggesting they may have started with considerable masses from the beginning. The observations, detailed in Nature Astronomy, showed no evidence of an ultra-effective feeding mechanism as previously hypothesized. Despite the lack of expected findings, the study sheds light on the mystery of early black hole development. The observations, conducted using JWST's mid-infrared instrument MIRI, provided unprecedented sensitivity, allowing for a detailed analysis of the quasar's properties. Surprisingly, the quasar appeared "shockingly normal," indicating that early quasars were similar to their modern counterparts, challenging previous assumptions about their evolution. These findings suggest that supermassive black holes may have had significant masses from their inception, contrary to previous beliefs about gradual growth alongside galaxies.
Related
Implementing General Relativity: What's inside a black hole?
Implementing general relativity for black hole exploration involves coordinate systems, upgrading metrics, calculating tetrads, and parallel transport. Tetrads transform vectors between flat and curved spacetime, crucial for understanding paths.
Pi Gazing is a project to build meteor cameras using Raspberry Pi
A project called Pi Gazing uses Raspberry Pi computers and CCTV cameras to monitor the night sky, tracking objects like shooting stars and satellites. Users can access open-source code and observations on GitHub.
Scientists may have found an answer to the mystery of dark matter
Scientists research dark matter, an invisible substance crucial for understanding the universe. Recent studies propose primordial black holes as a solution, suggesting they could account for dark matter and be detected by gravitational wave detectors.
The First Animal Ever Found That Doesn't Need Oxygen to Survive
Scientists discovered Henneguya salminicola, a jellyfish-like parasite surviving without oxygen inside salmon. This challenges oxygen-dependency beliefs, shedding light on anaerobic metabolism evolution and life's adaptability to extreme conditions.
The World Will Soon Witness "One of the Rarest Space Events of Our Lives"
An asteroid named 99942 Apophis will pass close to Earth in 2029, posing no threat for the next century. NASA and ESA plan missions to study the 375-meter asteroid during this rare event.
2 commentsRelated
Implementing General Relativity: What's inside a black hole?
Implementing general relativity for black hole exploration involves coordinate systems, upgrading metrics, calculating tetrads, and parallel transport. Tetrads transform vectors between flat and curved spacetime, crucial for understanding paths.
Pi Gazing is a project to build meteor cameras using Raspberry Pi
A project called Pi Gazing uses Raspberry Pi computers and CCTV cameras to monitor the night sky, tracking objects like shooting stars and satellites. Users can access open-source code and observations on GitHub.
Scientists may have found an answer to the mystery of dark matter
Scientists research dark matter, an invisible substance crucial for understanding the universe. Recent studies propose primordial black holes as a solution, suggesting they could account for dark matter and be detected by gravitational wave detectors.
The First Animal Ever Found That Doesn't Need Oxygen to Survive
Scientists discovered Henneguya salminicola, a jellyfish-like parasite surviving without oxygen inside salmon. This challenges oxygen-dependency beliefs, shedding light on anaerobic metabolism evolution and life's adaptability to extreme conditions.
The World Will Soon Witness "One of the Rarest Space Events of Our Lives"
An asteroid named 99942 Apophis will pass close to Earth in 2029, posing no threat for the next century. NASA and ESA plan missions to study the 375-meter asteroid during this rare event.