Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery—the most distant active black hole ever observed, at least thus far.

This remarkable finding was made in the galaxy CEERS 1019, which is estimated to have existed more than 570 million years after the big bang, as reported by NASA.

What makes this black hole particularly intriguing is its unexpectedly smaller size, considering the time at which it existed, BGR has reported.

The evidence of this black hole was uncovered during the Webb Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERs) Survey, led by Steven Finkelstein from the University of Texas at Austin.

The survey utilizes data from near and mid-infrared images called spectra. Apart from its ancient existence, the galaxy stands out because it hosts the most distant active black hole ever discovered.

Furthermore, this black hole is estimated to have a mass of only 9 million solar masses, significantly smaller than other similar black holes, even though it is technically considered a supermassive black hole.

While the black hole is believed to remain active, its estimated mass puts it in a range similar to that of the central supermassive black hole in our Milky Way.

What adds to the intrigue is that astronomers are not yet certain how such massive black holes formed in the early stages of the universe, especially at this particular period.

Written by staff