Unveiling the Oldest and Farthest Black Hole Born in the Aftermath of the Big Bang

Subscribe to CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter and delve into the wonders of the universe. Stay up to date with captivating news on groundbreaking discoveries, scientific advancements, and much more. Recently, NASA's two formidable telescopes have successfully identified the ancient and farthest black hole ever documented.

Astronomers have identified the presence of a developing black hole in the early universe, a mere 470 million years after the big bang, with the assistance of data collected through energetic X-rays by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope. The remarkable findings, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, provide valuable insights into the formation of the initial supermassive black holes within the cosmos.

"We relied on Webb's capabilities to locate this incredibly distant galaxy, while utilizing Chandra to pinpoint its supermassive black hole," stated Akos Bogdan, the lead author of the study. At the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bogdan, an astrophysicist, also made use of a cosmic magnifying glass that significantly enhanced the amount of light detected.

Euclid's view of the Horsehead Nebula.

ESA

Euclid's telescopes have unveiled new cosmic details, showcasing the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. This effect occurs when closer objects, such as a galactic cluster, act as magnifying glasses for distant objects. Gravity causes a distortion and intensification of light from distant galaxies in the background, thus enabling the observation of celestial features that would otherwise remain unseen.

The black hole in the galaxy UHZ1 was detected by astronomers. Initially, the galaxy appeared to be in the same direction as the Abell 2744 galaxy cluster, which is situated approximately 3.5 billion light-years away from Earth. However, data collected by the Webb telescope revealed that UHZ1 is actually much further and located beyond the cluster, at a distance of 13.2 billion light-years from Earth.

A light-year, which is equal to 5.88 trillion miles, represents the distance traveled by a beam of light in one year. When telescopes like Webb observe this light from objects in the early days of the universe, it is akin to looking into the past.

Using the Chandra Observatory, the team identified the presence of superheated gas emitting X-rays in UHZ1. This serves as a clear indication that a supermassive black hole is undergoing growth. The detection became feasible due to the amplification of light from the UHZ1 galaxy and the X-rays emitted by the black hole by four times, facilitated by the Abell cluster of galaxies.

Decoding a cosmic enigma

The astronomers believe that this discovery will enhance their comprehension of the rapid formation and immense size of supermassive black holes in the early stages of the universe.

Researchers are intrigued by the origins of enormous celestial bodies, and they are investigating two possibilities: whether these colossal entities were formed through the collapse of immense gas clouds or if they were the result of explosions from the earliest massive stars.

According to Andy Goulding, a research scholar in astrophysical sciences at Princeton University in New Jersey, there are limits on the growth rate of black holes once they are formed. However, those that are born with greater mass have an advantage, similar to a sapling that takes less time to grow into a full-sized tree compared to starting with just a seed.

The origins of the Crab Nebula's supernova remnant have been investigated by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Using its NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), Webb has unveiled fresh insights in infrared light.

The remnant seen in the Hubble optical wavelength image released in 2005 is reminiscent of Webb's depiction. The remnant is composed of a distinct cage-like structure consisting of soft red-orange gas filaments that trace doubly ionized sulfur (sulfur III). Inside the remnant, there are prominent yellow-white and green fluffy ridges that form loop-like structures on a larger scale, indicating the presence of dust particles.

The Crab Nebula's ethereal glow is captured in an image by the Webb telescope. The individual in question is a coauthor of a paper featured in Nature Astronomy and also the lead author of a separate paper on the UHZ1 galaxy, which was published in September in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The team published their findings in a Nature Astronomy paper, revealing that the mass of the distant black holes matches the combined mass of all the stars in its host galaxy. Based on the emitted X-rays' brightness and energy, the researchers estimated the black hole's mass to be between 10 million and 100 million times that of the sun.

The centers of galaxies usually contain black holes that possess only approximately 0.1% of the mass found in the stars of their respective galaxies. This specific black hole, however, may be classified as an "Outsize Black Hole." According to Priyamvada Natarajan, who coauthored both studies and serves as the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, this type of black hole forms when an immense gas cloud collapses, as proposed in 2017.