Researchers from different parts of the world have made a significant discovery that completely changes our understanding of the universe in its earliest moments. This is the discovery of the oldest known black hole to date, dating back just 400 million years after the Big Bang, pushing back what was known so far by 200 million years.
Using the James Webb Telescope, an international team led by the University of Cambridge detected this black hole, located in a galaxy known as GN-z11. Discovered in 2016 by the Hubble Space Telescope, this galaxy was identified as the oldest until then. However, it is now known that there is an invisible black hole inside, but with an enormous mass, calculated to be 1.6 million times that of the Sun.
This incredible discovery led to a rethinking of previous theories about how black holes formed and grew in the early universe. According to experts, the rapid growth of this black hole raises new mysteries and challenges previously accepted hypotheses. Formation mechanisms different from those known could explain its occurrence so early in the universe.
Among the theories put forward is the idea that the black hole could have been born from a dying supermassive star or from the accelerated concentration of a dense cloud of gas. Scientists also consider the possibility that this black hole was created without having to go through the stage of star formation.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this discovery is the amount of light a black hole emits at its edge as it absorbs surrounding matter. This luminosity made it possible to locate the galaxy GN-z11 and thus detect the black hole inside.
The detection of this ancient black hole represents a major advance in our knowledge of the earliest universe. Scientists hope that the unprecedented observational capabilities of the James Webb Telescope will lead to the discovery of more black holes and an even clearer view of the universe’s early moments.
Undoubtedly the discovery of this ancient black hole It is a milestone in the field of astrophysics and brings us a little closer to understanding the many mysteries that the universe contains in its creation.
The study carried out by this international team was published in the prestigious journal Nature, and it is expected that new data collected in the future will provide even more information about these mysterious objects in space.
This discovery opens a new era in the research of the early universe, in which black holes play a crucial role. Our understanding of the formation and early evolution of galaxies, as well as our understanding of the universe itself, will surely change as we continue to explore and unravel the mysteries of our cosmic roots.
