On January 3, 2025, astronomers utilizing NASA's James Webb Space Telescope conducted an extensive survey of 19 galaxies located 11 billion light-years away in the Spiderweb protocluster, one of the most studied groups of galaxies in the universe.
The research focused on the galaxies' star formation rates, revealing that those with supermassive black holes at their centers exhibit significantly lower rates of star formation compared to galaxies without such massive black holes.
These findings provide critical insights into galaxy evolution and the role of black holes in regulating star formation processes. Stars form when large clouds of cold hydrogen gas collapse under their own gravity, leading to increased density and temperature, which ultimately triggers nuclear fusion, resulting in star creation.