JWST uncovers the universe’s closest dual black holes in its early era

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (with ALMA) confirm LID-1166—the closest pair of actively feeding supermassive black holes observed this early in cosmic history. The dual SMBHs sit about 4,900 light-years apart in a merging galaxy roughly 1.3 billion years after the Big Bang, with distinct spectral signals and surrounding cold gas indicating two active nuclei. This first close-pair observation helps explain how supermassive black holes grew so rapidly in the early universe and sheds light on galaxy–black hole co-evolution.