Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made a significant discovery by locating the most distant active supermassive black hole known to date. This black hole exists approximately 570 million years after the Big Bang, making it one of the earliest black holes detected in the universe. The galaxy housing this black hole, known as CEERS 1019, is also noteworthy for having the least massive black hole found in the early universe.
In addition to CEERS 1019, scientists have identified two smaller black holes that already existed between one billion and 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang. Furthermore, the JWST has identified 11 galaxies that were present between 470 million and 675 million years after the Big Bang, providing valuable insights into the early stages of galaxy formation.
The discoveries were made through the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, led by Steven Finkelstein, an astronomy professor at the University of Texas at Austin. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlights the significance of the JWST’s observations and the wealth of spectral data it provides for analysis.
CEERS 1019 stands out not only for its early existence but also for the relatively low mass of its black hole. Compared to other black holes discovered in the early universe using different telescopes, CEERS 1019’s black hole has a mass of only nine million solar masses. Typically, black holes in the early universe have masses exceeding a billion times that of the Sun, making them easier to detect due to their brightness.
The researchers note that CEERS 1019’s black hole is more comparable in mass to the black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, which has a mass of 4.6 million solar masses. The findings provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of black holes and galaxies in the early universe, expanding our understanding of the cosmos.