"James Webb Telescope Uncovers Oldest Black Hole at Dawn of Time"

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Source: NPR
"James Webb Telescope Uncovers Oldest Black Hole at Dawn of Time"
Photo: NPR
TL;DR

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the earliest known black hole, about 1.6 million times the mass of the Sun, in the galaxy GN-z11, formed just 400 million years after the Big Bang. This challenges existing theories on black hole formation and growth, suggesting alternative scenarios such as the collapse of vast gas clouds or the rapid merging of smaller black holes. The black hole's intense feeding could be hindering the galaxy's growth by sweeping away its gas, potentially quenching star formation. This discovery reveals the early diversity of black holes and their host galaxies.

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