J0529-4351: The Brightest Quasar in the Distant Universe
Scientists have revealed the most luminous object ever detected in the distant Universe, a quasar named J0529-4351. Quasars are the bright cores of "active galaxies," fuelled by black holes. The black hole in J0529-4351 is between 17 and 19 billion times the mass of our Sun.
Research published in the journal Nature Astronomy indicates that it consumes the equivalent of 370 suns annually, making it the fastest-growing black hole known to date. "It is a surprise that it has remained unknown until today, when we already know about a million less impressive quasars," remarked astronomer Christopher Onken. Initially mistaken for a star in 1980, the quasar was reclassified last year, revealing its true nature as a supermassive black hole consuming matter at an unprecedented rate.
Astronomers describe J0529-4351 as a cosmic hurricane, with a rotating disc of gas around its black hole emitting energy over 500 trillion times more luminous than the Sun. Lead author Christian Wolf from the Australian National University dubbed it "the most violent place that we know in the universe."
This record-breaking quasar, situated 12 billion light-years away, poses a captivating enigma for astronomers. As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of J0529-4351, its existence challenges our understanding of the early days of the universe and the extraordinary forces at play in the cosmos.
