Astronomers have discovered the earliest known 'black hole star,' which may explain how billion-solar-mass black holes formed in the early Universe. The object, dubbed MoM-BH*-1, exhibits properties normally associated with stars, resolving a long-standing challenge in understanding mysterious 'little red dots'.
SourceInstitute of Science and Technology Austria·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateAug 12, 2026
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The study provides the largest, most uniform spectroscopic follow-up of X-ray sources ever assembled, capturing tens of thousands of X-ray-emitting galaxy clusters. It reveals that rapidly growing giant black holes were surprisingly common in the early Universe and more 'hidden' black holes have been uncovered.
A team of researchers has discovered that supermassive black hole winds are 100 times more powerful than previously thought, carrying energy across 300,000 light-year distances. This finding demonstrates the explosive winds' impact on space beyond galaxies.
SourceTohoku University·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJul 29, 2026
A recent study from Florida International University suggests that galaxy mergers are neither necessary nor sufficient to stop galaxies from forming new stars. Instead, slower internal processes are believed to play a much larger role in quenching star formation.
SourceFlorida International University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 21, 2026
A team of scientists has discovered 31 of the most ancient quasars ever found, including two that radiated light from a trillion suns when the universe was just 670 million years old. These findings provide crucial clues for understanding how supermassive black holes formed and offer insights into the early universe's structure.
SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·DateJul 6, 2026
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The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope has discovered 31 of the oldest quasars ever found, revealing insights into the universe's first 670 million years. The two most ancient quasars have redshifts of 7.77 and 7.69, setting a new record for their age.
SourceEuropean Space Agency·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateJul 6, 2026
A team of U of A astronomers helped an international research consortium discover the faintest and farthest quasars in the early universe, revealing new insights into supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. The discovery includes two record-breaking quasars with cosmic ages of about 670 million years.
SourceUniversity of Arizona·TypeObservational study·DateJul 6, 2026
The discovery reveals a surprisingly mature black hole at just 850 million years old, with an accretion disk resembling a flat pancake. This challenges the understanding of how supermassive black holes can grow and mature in a short amount of cosmic time.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJun 8, 2026
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A team of astronomers used JWST to detect the motion of stars near a galaxy's center affected by a dormant black hole's gravity. The findings suggest that densest galaxies were sites of rapid black hole growth early in cosmic history.
SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalScience·TypeObservational study·DateJun 4, 2026
Researchers have discovered the fastest wind near a supermassive black hole at ultraviolet wavelengths, driven by the quasar's surrounding matter disc. The wind's velocity is up to 30% the speed of light, making it unlike any hurricane on Earth.
SourceYork University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateJun 4, 2026
A team at the University of Arizona discovered exceptionally fast and powerful galactic winds from quasars a billion years after the Big Bang. These winds could have caused galaxies to lose gas supplies, effectively shutting down star formation. The study suggests that quasars with extreme outflows were more common in the early univers...
SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateMay 7, 2026
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A team of astronomers has discovered a supermassive black hole with extreme growth rates, contradicting current models. The black hole is emitting bright X-rays and radio waves, hinting at unknown physical mechanisms. This finding provides a rare glimpse into time-variable black hole growth in the early Universe.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateJan 21, 2026
New research reveals the structure of matter surrounding supermassive black holes has changed over cosmic time, challenging a fundamental assumption about their behavior. The study combines new X-ray observations to explore the relation between X-ray and ultraviolet light intensity of an unprecedentedly large sample of quasars.
SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateDec 11, 2025
Astronomers have captured the first-ever radio image of two black holes orbiting each other at the centre of a quasar called OJ287. The observation confirms the existence of black hole pairs and provides insight into their orbital motion.
SourceUniversity of Turku·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateOct 9, 2025
A newly discovered cluster of eleven quasars has shattered the previous record of five, with the Cosmic Himalayas quasar cluster sitting on the boundary between two groups of galaxies. This structure cannot be explained by conventional theories and forces astronomers to rethink formation scenarios for quasars.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateJun 2, 2025
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A newly discovered cluster of eleven quasars has shattered the previous record, with the Cosmic Himalayas forming a boundary between galaxy groups. This structure forces astronomers to rethink quasar formation scenarios, leading to new theories and potential insights into the evolution of the Universe.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateJun 2, 2025
Astronomers have found nearly 100 examples of massive black holes devouring stars in galaxy cores. A new study reveals a stealth black hole tearing apart a star 2,600 light years away from the galaxy's central massive black hole.
SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMay 16, 2025
Astrophysicist Jeremy Darling is pursuing a new method to measure the universe's gravitational wave background by analyzing the motion of quasars. His research could unravel the physics of gravity and help scientists understand galaxy evolution and fundamental assumptions about gravity.
SourceUniversity of Colorado at Boulder·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMay 12, 2025
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Scientists have discovered a distant, two-lobed radio jet that spans an astonishing 200,000 light-years at least, twice the width of the Milky Way. The team used a combination of telescopes to detect the jet and measure its properties, including the mass of the quasar producing it.
SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateFeb 6, 2025
Astronomers have detected a supermassive black hole with a jet pointed towards Earth in the first billion years of the universe. The discovery offers crucial information for studying reionization and could point to other supermassive black hole candidates from the early universe.
SourceYale University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateJan 15, 2025
Astronomers have discovered a rare spiral-shaped galaxy hosting a young jet, challenging the conventional wisdom on quasar formation. The galaxy, J0742+2704, features a supermassive black hole and brilliant hot disks of swirling gas that can blast off jets of material.
A team of scientists found that carbon and other star-formed atoms don't just drift through space, but are pushed out by giant currents into intergalactic space. These atoms can eventually be pulled back in to form new stars, planets, and moons.
SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateJan 3, 2025
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Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to study a quasar up close, revealing complex structures around a supermassive black hole. The observations show a mysterious L-shaped filamentary structure and small satellite galaxies falling into the black hole, offering insights into quasar formation and galaxy interactions.
Researchers analyzed 21 distant quasars to find a connection between X-ray emission and wind speed, indicating rapid accretion of matter. This study challenges physics limits and provides insights for future X-ray missions.
SourceIstituto Nazionale di Astrofisica·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateNov 20, 2024
A new study using the Dark Energy Camera has found that early-universe quasars have surrounding companion galaxies within a distance of 15 million light-years, which is consistent with expectations. However, the team also discovered that there are no companion galaxies within 60 million light-years of the quasar.
SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateSep 23, 2024
A team of researchers observed two galaxies merging 12.8 billion years ago, forming a massive object that triggered rapid growth of supermassive black holes and starburst activity. The discovery provides new insights into galaxy/black hole formation in the early Universe.
SourceKavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateAug 29, 2024
A team of researchers used ALMA to study the earliest known pair of close quasars, discovering that they are merging and will form a super-bright monster galaxy. The merger is expected to trigger a rapid increase in star formation, creating a 'starburst' effect.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateAug 29, 2024
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Astronomers found the earliest pair of quasars, revealing a bridge of gas between merging galaxies at 900 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery clarifies the role of galaxy mergers and black hole activity in the Universe's evolution.
SourceKavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJun 17, 2024
The International Gemini Observatory and Subaru Telescope have discovered the most distant pair of merging quasars, seen only 900 million years after the Big Bang. The team used follow-up spectroscopy to confirm the nature of the quasar pair and their host galaxies.
SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJun 17, 2024
Researchers discovered wind from a black hole's radiation blasting gas out of its galaxy at an unprecedented speed. The study sheds light on how active black holes shape their galaxies by spurting on or snuffing out new star formation.
SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateJun 11, 2024
An international team used deep learning neural networks to identify rare weak signals in quasar spectral data. They discovered 107 extremely rare neutral carbon absorbers, doubling the number of samples found in 2015, and detected more faint signals than before.
SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMay 20, 2024
Astronomers have observed the faint light from stars in the host galaxies of three ancient quasars, revealing clues to how the earliest supermassive black holes and galaxies evolved. The study suggests that some of the earliest
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateMay 6, 2024
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Astronomers have charted the largest-ever volume of the universe with a new map of active supermassive black holes, logging 1.3 million quasars in space and time. This map allows scientists to study dark matter and the universe's expansion by comparing distant quasars and their host galaxies.
SourceSimons Foundation·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateMar 18, 2024
Astronomers discover tiny, red versions of massive black holes that could change our understanding of their origins. The 'baby quasars' are small-scale black holes with masses between ten and a hundred million solar masses, observed using the James Webb Space Telescope.
SourceInstitute of Science and Technology Austria·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateMar 7, 2024
A team of astronomers has detected a gravitationally lensed supermassive black hole in the early universe, which was found to be significantly more massive than its host galaxy. The discovery, made using images from the James Webb Space Telescope, revealed the black hole's unique red color and confirmed it as a supermassive black hole.
SourceBen-Gurion University of the Negev·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 26, 2024
The discovery of J0529-4351 reveals the most luminous object in the known Universe, with a mass of 17 billion Suns and an accretion disc seven light-years in diameter. The quasar's brightness surpasses that of 500 trillion Suns, providing valuable insights into supermassive black holes and their role in shaping the early Universe.
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Researchers observed molecular gas outflow from quasar J2054-0005 using ALMA, revealing suppression of star formation in its host galaxy. The findings confirm theoretical predictions and provide strong evidence for powerful molecular gas outflows in early Universe quasars.
SourceHokkaido University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 1, 2024
Researchers discover extremely red objects (EROs) in James Webb Space Telescope data that resemble blue-excess dust obscured galaxies (BluDOGs) found in Subaru Telescope data. The similarity suggests EROs and BluDOGs may be at similar stages of evolution, with a larger sample needed to confirm the relationship.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateDec 14, 2023
Astronomers studying two distant galaxies in the early universe reveal unprecedented molecular diversity, shedding light on the lives of prodigious star factories. By analyzing light from over 13 molecules, researchers gain insights into the physical and chemical conditions in these galaxies.
SourceChalmers University of Technology·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateDec 14, 2023
A new study reveals that quasars can be obscured by dense clouds of gas and dust within their host galaxies, rather than just the 'dusty torus' around the black hole. This phenomenon is more common in compact starburst galaxies with intense rates of star formation.
SourceDurham University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 5, 2023
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Astronomers discovered a link between dust surrounding supermassive black holes and radio emission in extremely bright galaxies. The study found that quasars with more dust were more likely to have stronger radio emission.
SourceNewcastle University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 25, 2023
A Northwestern University study reveals that black holes devour gas at a much faster rate than previously believed. The simulations indicate that the inner regions of the accretion disk are destroyed and replenished, explaining the drastic variation in quasars' brightness and fading patterns.
SourceNorthwestern University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 20, 2023
A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has measured dark matter halo masses around ancient quasars, finding a consistent mass of about 10 trillion times the mass of our sun. This discovery suggests a characteristic DMH mass that activates quasars regardless of time period.
SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateSep 11, 2023
Researchers have discovered quasar-driven superbubble pairs, providing evidence for the outflow mechanism in galaxy evolution. These pairs, which extend over 60,000 light-years, are generated by quasars driving gas into intergalactic space.
SourceUniversity of Science and Technology of China·JournalScience Advances·DateAug 11, 2023
An international team of scientists has detected a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signal in the radio band from a Galactic black hole system, revealing features that have never been seen before. The QPO signal may provide the first evidence of activity from a jet launched by a Galactic stellar-mass black hole.
SourceUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateJul 26, 2023
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Scientists discover threadlike arrangement of galaxies, anchored by a quasar, which marks the first time such a structure has been observed at 6% of its current age. The findings provide clues about the fundamental architecture of the universe and the formation of supermassive black holes.
SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateJul 5, 2023
Researchers used quasar data to analyze time dilation in the early universe, confirming that it was running at five times slower. By observing nearly 200 quasars, scientists were able to standardize their 'ticking' and chart the expansion of space.
SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJul 3, 2023
A new study detects starlight from two massive galaxies hosting actively growing black holes, seen less than a billion years after the Big Bang. The findings suggest that the relationship between black holes and their host galaxies was already in place 860 million years ago.
SourceKavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe·JournalNature·DateJun 28, 2023
The latest DESI data release provides a precise 3D map of the universe with high certainty. The data also sheds new light on cosmic acceleration and the nature of gravity at large scales.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Dallas·TypeObservational study·DateJun 14, 2023
A team of astronomers has observed the most luminous quasar in 9 billion years, shedding light on its interaction with its environment. The study found that the quasar's black hole is growing at a rate of 100 solar masses per year and emitting powerful winds into the host galaxy.
SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMay 19, 2023
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The explosion, known as AT2021lwx, is more than ten times brighter than any known supernova and has lasted for nearly three years, compared to most supernovae which are only visibly bright for a few months. The researchers believe that the explosion is a result of a vast cloud of gas being violently disrupted by a supermassive black hole.
SourceUniversity of Southampton·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMay 11, 2023
Scientists have discovered that quasars are ignited by galaxies crashing together, a process that drives gas towards supermassive black holes and releases extraordinary amounts of energy. This finding provides a significant step forward in understanding how these powerful objects are triggered and fuelled.
SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeImaging analysis·DateApr 25, 2023
Astronomers have discovered a closely bound pair of actively feeding supermassive black holes in the same galactic real estate, 10,000 light-years apart. This finding provides crucial information about the nature of cosmic systems on the verge of becoming giant elliptical galaxies.
SourceAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateApr 5, 2023
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a pair of gravitationally bound quasars inside two merging galaxies when the universe was just 3 billion years old. The finding provides insights into early galaxy mergers and supermassive black holes.
SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateApr 5, 2023
Researchers found that compact, low-power jets can disrupt gas distribution and accelerate it, leading to unexpected turbulence. The study challenges previous beliefs about the impact of low-power jets on galaxies.
SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateMar 20, 2023
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Researchers studying ancient quasars have discovered a rapid increase in warm carbon around 13 billion years ago, potentially linked to the 'Epoch of Reionisation' and large-scale heating of gas. This finding provides new insights into the evolution of the universe's chemical composition.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateMar 6, 2023
Astronomers have discovered a rapidly growing supermassive black hole in the very early Universe, which provides new clues on its formation. The galaxy, named COS-87259, contains over a billion solar masses worth of interstellar dust and is forming stars at a rate 1000 times that of our Milky Way.
SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 24, 2023
An international team of scientists observed the narrowing of a quasar jet for the first time using a network of radio telescopes. The results suggest that the jet's narrowing is independent of the host galaxy's activity level, providing an important clue to understanding jet formation.
SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateNov 21, 2022
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A team of researchers found that the internal donut-shaped structure of quasars can affect the ionization level of intergalactic gas in different directions. The study suggests that a dust torus is likely to be responsible for this anisotropic effect.
SourceShinshu University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateJul 22, 2022
Astronomers identify GNz7q, a dusty compact object with properties of both galaxies and quasars, born 750 million years after Big Bang. The discovery provides new insights into the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in early universe.
SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalNature·DateApr 13, 2022