The cosmic giant challenging our understanding of galaxy formation in the early universe
QSO1 location on the mBH −M∗ plane. Credit: arxiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550 / Arxiv.2508.21748
Scientists discovered a giant black hole which, according to them, could have been trained in the first microseconds after the Big Bang. The black hole is so huge that it can change our understanding of how these cosmic giants are formed. If the results are confirmed, it will be the first proof of primordial black holes, which should exist by Stephen Hawking in the 1970s.
The discovery comes from observations made by the James Webb space telescope (JWST), the largest space telescope. JWST has spotted a group of small red and light objects called “small red dots” (LRD), which are considered to be babies who house young growing black holes.
A document from an international team of scientists led by the Ignas Judi commercial astrophysics at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has directly measured the mass of one of the LRDs. Their results indicate that a mysterious reader of the red dot called QSO1 is a black hole with a mass equivalent with 50 million suns. This large astronomical object is in the first stages of a process called accretion, where its severity pulls in surrounding gas and dust. The study is published on the arxiv pre -printed server.
A bare black hole
The black hole is almost naked, which means that it has only a small halo of material around it, which is confusing of scientists and could transform our understanding of the way black holes are formed on its head.
According to conventional theory, galaxies are formed first, then the supermassive black holes in their centers develop by feeding on gas and stars within these galaxies. However, the galaxy surrounding the black hole of QSO1 is much smaller than scientists expected such a massive object.
This observation suggests that these cosmic giants could be born first and developed incredibly quickly before their galaxies were fully formed. In other words, the black hole may have helped build its host galaxy and not the other way around.
“This demonstrates the possibility of primacy in black hole, that is to say black holes forming and growing earlier and / or much faster than their host galaxy,” commented the researchers in their article.
Before scientists can start rewriting cosmology books, more research and analyzes will be necessary. By measuring the mass of other LRDs and distant and supermassive black holes, researchers can have a clearer image of how the very first black holes have formed. This will help confirm whether the new theory is correct and how it is part of our global understanding of the universe.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, published by Gaby Clark, and verified and revised by Robert Egan – This article is the result of meticulous human work. We are counting on readers like you to keep independent scientific journalism alive. If this report matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You will get a without advertising count as a thank you.
More information:
IGNAS JUODžBALIS and AL, a direct measure of mass of black hole in a small red point at the time of re -ionization, arxiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550 / Arxiv.2508.21748
Newspaper information:
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