Scientists have made an incredible discovery in the depths of space, finding a record-breaking quasar that shines brighter than 500 trillion suns. Quasars are the bright cores of distant galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, and this particular quasar, named J0529-4351, is located 12 billion light years away. It is not only the brightest object in the known universe but also the fastest-growing black hole ever observed.
The team of astronomers, led by Christian Wolf from the Australian National University (ANU), used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to study and characterize this extraordinary quasar. The research, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that J0529-4351 has a mass of 17 billion suns and consumes the equivalent of one sun per day. This rapid growth makes it the most luminous object ever discovered.
Quasars emit vast amounts of light due to the energetic process of collecting matter from their surroundings. They are some of the brightest objects in the sky, even when they are located billions of light years away. The luminosity of a quasar indicates the speed at which its supermassive black hole is growing. In the case of J0529-4351, its accretion disc, which pulls matter towards the black hole, emits so much energy that it is over 500 trillion times more luminous than our sun.
What makes this discovery even more remarkable is that this record-breaking quasar was hiding in plain sight. Despite being present in images from the ESO Schmidt Southern Sky Survey dating back to 1980, it was not recognized as a quasar until decades later. Christopher Onken, an astronomer at ANU and co-author of the study, expressed surprise that such an impressive object went unnoticed for so long. He explained that the large datasets required to find quasars often rely on machine-learning models, which are trained on existing data. This can lead to the rejection of new quasars that are more luminous than any previously observed.
The researchers believe that studying distant supermassive black holes like J0529-4351 could provide valuable insights into the early Universe and the formation and evolution of galaxies. By understanding these cosmic phenomena, scientists can unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the origins of our Universe.
This groundbreaking discovery showcases the incredible advancements in astronomical research and the power of technology in uncovering the secrets of the cosmos. The images captured by the VLT and the analysis conducted by the team at ANU have opened up new possibilities for exploring the depths of space. As we continue to push the boundaries of our understanding, we can only imagine what other extraordinary phenomena lie waiting to be discovered in the vast expanse of the universe.