AssetID: 55280583
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Astronomers discover monster black hole in one of the universe’s earliest galaxies
Caption: Scientists have uncovered a cosmic monster lurking in one of the Universe’s earliest galaxies — and it’s growing at a staggering pace. Using the ultra-powerful NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have confirmed the presence of an actively feeding supermassive black hole inside a tiny, distant galaxy formed just 570 million years after the Big Bang. The galaxy, known as CANUCS-LRD-z8.6, is part of a mysterious group of faint crimson objects that have baffled astronomers — the so-called Little Red Dots. These ancient mini-galaxies, spotted in increasing numbers since Webb began surveying the early cosmos, are brighter and redder than expected. And this latest discovery may finally offer a crucial clue to why. Webb’s cutting-edge Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) allowed scientists to capture the faint light coming from CANUCS-LRD-z8.6, revealing tell-tale signatures of a rapidly growing black hole — the kind of voracious cosmic engine that would one day give rise to the dazzling quasars we see lighting up the Universe. Lead author Roberta Tripodi, from the University of Ljubljana and Italy’s INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, said: "This discovery is truly remarkable. We’ve observed a galaxy from less than 600 million years after the Big Bang, and not only is it hosting a supermassive black hole, but the black hole is growing rapidly - far faster than we would expect in such a galaxy at this early time. This challenges our understanding of black hole and galaxy formation in the early Universe and opens up new avenues of research into how these objects came to be." A closer look at the galaxy’s spectrum showed gas that had been intensely ionised by powerful radiation and was rotating at high speed around a hidden core — classic signs of a supermassive black hole on the rise. Webb’s precise measurements even allowed scientists to estimate its mass, revealing it to be extraordinarily large for such an early moment in cosmic history. Meanwhile, the galaxy itself remains compact and chemically primitive, still in the infancy of its evolution. The team also used Webb’s data to measure how the galaxy’s energy is distributed across different wavelengths, helping them determine the mass of its stars and compare it directly with the size of the black hole. Dr Nicholas Martis, also from the University of Ljubljana, said: "The data we received from Webb was absolutely crucial. The spectral features revealed by Webb provided clear signs of an accreting black hole at the centre of the galaxy, something that could not have been observed with previous technology. What makes this even more compelling is that the galaxy’s black hole is overmassive compared to its stellar mass. This suggests that black holes in the early Universe may have grown much faster than the galaxies that host them." Typically, astronomers expect a tight relationship between a galaxy and its central black hole: as one grows, so does the other. But CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 appears to break the rules. It is the most massive galaxy yet discovered at such a young cosmic age — yet its central black hole is even more oversized than expected, hinting that early black holes may have ballooned at astonishing speed. Prof Maruša Bradač, who leads the group at the University of Ljubljana, said: "This discovery is an exciting step in understanding the formation of the first supermassive black holes in the Universe. The unexpected rapid growth of the black hole in this galaxy raises questions about the processes that allowed such massive objects to emerge so early. As we continue to analyse the data, we hope to find more galaxies like CANUCS-LRD-z8.6, which could provide us with even greater insights into the origins of black holes and galaxies." The team now plans follow-up observations using both Webb and the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) to peer even deeper into the galaxy’s cold gas and dust — the raw material needed to fuel a black hole’s rise.
Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,supermassive black hole,James Webb Space Telescope,early Universe,Little Red Dots,CANUCS-LRD-z8.6,cosmic discovery,ancient galaxy,Big Bang,accreting black hole,JWST findings,galaxy formation,early cosmos,ALMA observations
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