2024-01-19 00:00:22
A team led by the University of Cambridge discovered the oldest black hole. Its nature is something never seen before.
One of the objects closest to the times of the Big Bang was recently discovered. Its about oldest black hole ever seen. The ancient cosmic monster dates back to 400 million years after the big bang that gave rise to the Universe.
The discovery was made by an international team of scientists. At the head of the project was Roberto Maiolinoastrophysicist University of Cambridge (United Kingdom). The results of the research can be consulted in an article published in the journal Nature.
As might be supposed, this was made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope. From the observations obtained by the authors of the study, it was possible to conclude that, in effect, this is the oldest black holebut also that it has the ability to swallow faster than any other known object.
The oldest black hole revolutionizes what we know
From the latter, a conflict arises for the understanding that was had about how black holes grow. It turns out that the standard models indicate that a supermassive black hole, like this one, are formed from the remains of dead stars. Then, after about a billion years, the hole could reach dimensions that put it in that category. If we connect the dots, something doesn’t make sense in the case now.
You may be interested in: Black holes: 5 facts about these enigmatic objects of the cosmos
The thing is that the Universe was not yet a billion years old when this black hole was detected. Derived from this, there are two options: black holes are born larger than estimated or could devour matter at a rate five times greater than was thought possible.
“It’s too early in the Universe to see such a massive black hole, so we have to consider other ways they could form,” he said, in a statement. statement, Maiolino. “Very primitive galaxies were extremely rich in gas, so they would have been like a buffet for black holes.”
The dying host galaxy
The host galaxy of the oldest black hole in the Universe It is a hundred times more compact than Milky Way. It is identified as GN-z11. The researchers saw that our protagonist object is “killing” its galactic neighborhoodalthough a side effect is that the hole will also diesince he will be left without “food”.
It may interest you. This could be the dramatic end of the Earth (and, incidentally, of the solar system)
The studio has woken up new questions about how black holes are born and formed. Certainly, we are facing a great step to expand what we know about these entities of the Universe. With support from James Webb Space Telescopethe hopes are higher.
Keep reading:
They discover that black holes are altering the Earth’s orbit
Regardless of their size, all black holes are equally dangerous
How many black holes are there in the Milky Way, our galaxy
This huge asteroid has skimmed Earth and more are on the way
VIDEO: This is what the surface of the Sun looks like
1705623820
#oldest #black #hole #Universe #discovered #devouring #host #galaxy