A black hole 300 million times bigger than the sun may be a portal to universe’s first days, scientists say

With spectroscopy, astronomers can seek signs revealing stars, galaxies and other celestial objects. The black holes engulf the dust and count it around them, compressing and heating the material as it swirls and falls into the black hole. All this can be seen with spectroscopy, said the co-author of the Steven Finkelstein study, professor of astronomy at the University of Texas in Austin.

“We are looking for these very fast gas signatures,” said Finkelstein. “We are talking about 1,000, 2,000, sometimes even 3,000 kilometers per second. Nothing else in the universe moves so quickly, so we know that it must be gas around a black hole. ”

Scientists have identified possible candidates from black holes that are more distant, but it is the oldest who was confirmed by spectroscopy, he added.

The galaxy that houses the new black hole was also a fascinating discovery, the researchers said. This is part of a class of galaxies nicknamed “small red dots” because they emit red wavelengths of light and are very compact and unexpectedly, according to Taylor.

We don’t know much about small red dots, but they were first spotted by the James Webb space telescope first. Although some were identified relatively nearby, Finkelstein said they were probably more common in the early universe.

The study of the Capers-LRD-Z9 galaxy can give clues to the few red dots and what causes their distinct red color, the researchers said. It can also provide clues to how old black hole has become so large at the start of the evolution of the universe.

In follow -up studies, researchers hope to find other black holes in the distant universe which are just as old – if not older.

“We only question very small areas of the sky with the James Webb space telescope,” said Finkelstein. “So, if we find one thing, there must be much more.”