Astronomers Measure Massive Black Hole 10 Billion Light-Years Away Using James Webb Telescope
James Webb Space Telescope weighs 'sleeping giant' black hole from 10 billion light-years away — and it's 6 billion times our sun's mass
Space
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Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to measure a dormant supermassive black hole in the galaxy MRG-M0138, located 10 billion light-years away. This black hole weighs 6 billion times the mass of the sun, marking a significant milestone in black hole research.
- 01The supermassive black hole is located in the galaxy MRG-M0138, which is seen as it was when the universe was around 4 billion years old.
- 02This black hole's mass is 6 billion times that of the sun, making it the most distant supermassive black hole measured to date.
- 03The research utilized stellar dynamics to track the motion of stars near the black hole, a technique previously used for closer black holes.
- 04Gravitational lensing helped magnify the light from MRG-M0138 by 30 times, enabling detailed observations.
- 05The study reveals that MRG-M0138 is dormant, indicating it is no longer forming new stars due to past feeding activity of the black hole.
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Astronomers utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have successfully measured the mass of a dormant supermassive black hole located in the galaxy MRG-M0138, which is approximately 10 billion light-years away. This black hole is remarkable for its mass, weighing in at 6 billion times that of the sun, making it the most distant supermassive black hole ever measured. The galaxy MRG-M0138 is observed as it existed when the universe was only about 4 billion years old. To determine the black hole's mass, scientists tracked the motion of stars orbiting it, employing a technique known as stellar dynamics. This method had previously been used for black holes much closer to Earth, such as Sagittarius A*, located just 26,000 light-years away. The research also involved gravitational lensing, which magnified the light from MRG-M0138 by 30 times, allowing for detailed observations of the stars influenced by the black hole's gravity. The findings suggest that MRG-M0138 is currently dormant and no longer forming new stars, likely due to previous feeding activity that expelled gas and dust from the galaxy, thus quenching star formation. This study enhances our understanding of the relationship between supermassive black holes and galaxy evolution, providing insights into how these cosmic entities shape their surroundings.
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