Astronomy, Quasars, Supermassive black holes, Brightest object in the universe, Record-breaking discovery
In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have identified the brightest known object in the universe, a quasar named J0529-4351. This record-breaking quasar is an astonishing 500 trillion times brighter than the sun, and it is believed to be powered by a supermassive black hole that devours a mass equivalent to that of the sun every day.
Quasars are galactic cores where gas and dust falling into a supermassive black hole release energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The team of astronomers, led by Christian Wolf from the Australian National University, stumbled upon this extraordinary quasar while combing through data from the Gaia space telescope. They were specifically looking for extremely bright objects outside the Milky Way that had been misidentified as stars.
Further observations using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile confirmed that J0529-4351 is indeed the brightest object in the universe that we currently know of. The researchers utilized a spectrometer on the VLT to analyze the light emitted by the quasar and determine how much of it was produced by the black hole’s accretion disc—a swirling disc of gas and matter. Their calculations revealed that J0529-4351 is the fastest-growing black hole in existence, consuming an astonishing 413 solar masses per year, which equates to more than one sun per day.
Additionally, the team estimated that the mass of this supermassive black hole falls between 5 billion and 50 billion solar masses. This range is quite broad due to the inherent challenges in accurately measuring such enormous objects.
Interestingly, Wolf and his colleagues had previously discovered the previous brightest quasar in 2018. However, J0529-4351 surpasses its brightness by a significant margin. Wolf believes that this new discovery is likely to hold the record for quite some time, as extensive surveys of the observable sky have been conducted, thanks to projects like Gaia’s star catalogues. He humorously describes the quasar as “the biggest unicorn with the longest horn on its head that we’ve found.”
One remarkable aspect of J0529-4351 is the size of its accretion disc, which appears to be the widest ever observed, spanning an impressive 7 light years. This presents a unique opportunity for astronomers to directly image the black hole and accurately measure its mass. Christine Done from Durham University in the UK expresses her excitement about this prospect, stating that current instruments should be able to resolve the quasar’s features in detail. By differentiating various parts of the accretion disc, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of its dynamics and behavior. However, this endeavor may take a few years as the VLT’s spectroscopic instruments are currently being upgraded as part of the Gravity+ project.
The discovery of J0529-4351 opens up new avenues for studying supermassive black holes and their associated quasars. The immense brightness and unique characteristics of this quasar provide scientists with an unprecedented opportunity to delve deeper into the mysteries of these cosmic phenomena. As our understanding of the universe continues to expand, it is discoveries like these that push the boundaries of human knowledge and inspire awe and wonder at the vastness and complexity of our universe.