A slumbering giant has been discovered in the early universe, baffling scientists and challenging our understanding of black hole evolution. Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have identified a supermassive black hole that appears to have gone dormant after a period of rapid growth, despite its immense size.
This behemoth, found just 670 million years after the Big Bang, is estimated to be 400 million times the mass of our sun, making it the largest black hole discovered by JWST in the early universe.
What makes this finding particularly intriguing is the black hole's size relative to its host galaxy. Typically, supermassive black holes in the modern universe have a mass roughly 0.1% of their host galaxy's mass. However, this black hole boasts a mass of about 40% of its host galaxy's mass.
Dr. Roberto Maiolino, lead author of the study published in *Nature*, stated, "This is truly unexpected. We expected a black hole of this magnitude to be actively feeding and growing at a rapid pace. Instead, it appears to be consuming gas at a remarkably slow rate."
Scientists theorize that this black hole may have undergone a period of intense growth early in its life, consuming vast amounts of gas and matter. This "feasting frenzy" could have fatigued the available fuel in its vicinity, leading to its current dormant state.
The discovery raises fascinating questions about the life cycles of supermassive black holes and the processes that govern their growth in the early universe. Could there be other "sleeping giants" lurking in the cosmos, waiting to be awakened?