Astronomers identify 83 supermassive black holes at the universe’s edge

Key Takeaways

1. An international team of astronomers discovered 83 new quasars, indicating supermassive black holes in the early universe.
2. These quasars lie about 13 billion light years away, allowing a view of objects from close to the Big Bang.
3. The team used the powerful Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii to locate these ancient quasars.
4. The findings reveal insights into black hole formation in the early universe, which remains a mystery.
5. One of the discovered quasars, HSC J124353.93+010038.5, has a surprisingly low brightness, intriguing scientists for further study.

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Astronomers have spotted 83 new quasars, each hosting colossal black holes from 13 billion years ago

Discovery of 83 Ancient Quasars Shines Light on Early Universe

A team of international astronomers recently announced the discovery of 83 ancient quasars—bright, star-like sources of light powered by supermassive black holes—dating back to the early universe. Using the Hyper Suprime-Cam mounted on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, these astronomers observed some of the oldest cosmic objects known, detecting their light from around 13 billion light years away. This vast distance places these quasars in a time period just under a billion years after the Big Bang, providing a rare window into how massive black holes might have formed so soon after the universe’s creation.

The survey took place over a span of five years and required extensive sky coverage to capture deep, detailed images of the universe’s remote reaches. Once initial data was gathered, the team used several international telescopes to confirm the presence of these quasars, all of which harbor supermassive black holes with masses reaching millions or even billions of times that of our sun. By focusing on quasars, scientists can study the properties and history of black holes, which are difficult to observe directly but can be inferred through their interaction with nearby gas clouds, which produce bright emissions of light.

Shedding Light on the Early Universe’s Supermassive Black Holes

Quasars are typically located at the centers of galaxies, where they generate powerful gravitational fields that attract swirling clouds of gas. These gases emit immense amounts of light as they spiral towards the black hole. Quasars thus become identifiable even across great distances, enabling researchers to trace the presence of supermassive black holes in the early cosmos. Finding 83 quasars at such a far distance suggests that the formation of supermassive black holes began relatively early in the universe’s history. This challenges current theories about black hole growth, which struggle to explain the presence of such massive structures only hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang.

A particularly interesting discovery was a quasar with an unexpectedly low brightness—HSC J124353.93+010038.5—reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. This unique quasar may represent a distinct category of low-brightness quasars or reflect the diversity in supermassive black hole evolution. Michael Strauss, a co-author of the study, highlighted the excitement surrounding these early, dense structures, as they reveal new aspects of black hole formation and evolution.

Yoshiki Matsuoka, who led the research, emphasized the potential of these findings to fuel further investigations. Advanced telescopes, both current and upcoming, could help scientists track the development of quasars over billions of years and provide clues about the role of supermassive black holes in shaping early galaxies. Each new discovery contributes to a better understanding of black hole origins and the universe’s early formation period, with this study marking a major step forward in uncovering these ancient cosmic mysteries.