Astronomers have captured images of two distant galaxies with a quasar at their heart, a finding reported by the Kavli Institute for Physico-Mathematics. These luminous nuclei mark active periods in young galaxies, where a supermassive black hole powers an accretion disk that swirls at incredible speeds. Gravity pulls gas inward, heating it to extreme temperatures and producing radiation so intense that it outshines the rest of the galaxy.
The James Webb Space Telescope, operating in the infrared, delivered photographs of two quasars designated HSC J2236+0032 and HSC J2255+0251. Their redshifts, 6.40 and 6.34 respectively, place these objects in a universe roughly 860 million years after the Big Bang, allowing scientists to peer far back into cosmic history. These measurements translate to vast distances and young ages, offering a window into the early stages of galaxy formation and black hole growth. The detection underscores Webb’s capability to probe the distant, early universe with remarkable clarity.
Analyses based on the light emitted by the host galaxies reveal substantial masses, ranging from tens to hundreds of billions of solar masses. By tracking the motion of turbulent gas in the vicinity of the quasars, researchers can estimate the masses of the central black holes, finding values between about 0.2 and 1.4 billion solar masses. The ratio of black hole mass to galaxy mass appears consistent with prior observations, suggesting a persistent relationship between black hole growth and galaxy assembly even hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang. This relationship helps astrophysicists understand how supermassive black holes accumulate such enormous amounts of material in relatively short cosmic timescales. [Kavli Institute attribution]
The researchers anticipate that ongoing studies in this domain will illuminate the mechanisms that enable rapid black hole feeding, including how material is funneled toward the central engine and how feedback processes influence star formation in the surrounding galaxy. These insights contribute to a broader picture of galaxy evolution and the role of black holes in shaping their hosts across cosmic history. [Kavli Institute attribution]
In a lighter moment of scientific curiosity, the text notes that paleontologists once debated whether the ancient megalodon shark was warm-blooded, a reminder of how scientific questions evolve with new evidence and methods. This remark underscores the iterative nature of discovery, where new data continually refine our understanding of life and the cosmos. [Kavli Institute attribution]