Trending Now - Astronomers Uncover Black Hole Formed Independently of Galaxy

WHO:

Gizmodo - Roberto Maiolino, a researcher from the University of Cambridge and co-author of two studies.

Gizmodo - Francesco D’Eugenio, a researcher at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the studies.

Gizmodo - Ignas Juodžbalis, a graduate student at Cambridge University and lead author of one of the studies.

WHAT:

Gizmodo - The black hole Abell2744-QSO1 is confirmed to be 50 million times the mass of the Sun, which is 10 million more than previously estimated.

ScienceAlert - The findings suggest that this black hole was born large rather than forming from a collapsing star.

ScienceAlert - The black hole makes up around two-thirds of QSO1’s total mass, a proportion thousands of times greater than in nearby galaxies.

Gizmodo - The black hole Abell2744-QSO1 is now confirmed to be 50 million times the mass of the Sun, which is 10 million more than previously estimated.

ScienceAlert - The discovery challenges existing models of black hole formation, indicating that black holes may not grow in the hierarchical manner previously thought.

Gizmodo - The black hole named Abell2744-QSO1 is now estimated to be around 50 million times the mass of the Sun, confirming its supermassive status.

Gizmodo - The discovery revealed a proportion between the supermassive black hole and its galaxy that’s thousands of times greater than in nearby galaxies.

Gizmodo - The chemical composition of QSO1 shows it is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with very little of the heavier elements like oxygen.

Gizmodo - The James Webb Space Telescope uncovered evidence of supermassive black holes evolving first, without a host galaxy.

Gizmodo - The black hole named Abell2744-QSO1 is estimated to be around 50 million times the mass of the Sun.

Gizmodo - The black hole makes up around two-thirds of QSO1’s total mass.

Gizmodo - The discovery suggests that this black hole was born large rather than forming from a collapsing star.

WHERE:

Gizmodo - The black hole is associated with the galaxy cluster Abell 2744.

WHEN:

Gizmodo - The black hole dates back to just 700 million years after the Big Bang.

WHY:

Gizmodo - The findings challenge the classical scenarios of how black holes form and grow, suggesting that ancient black holes did not need to consume large amounts of surrounding gas and dust to grow.

HOW:

Gizmodo - The team used velocity measurements of the surrounding gas to directly calculate the mass of the black hole, marking it as the first direct measurement of a black hole mass within the first billion years after the Big Bang.

ScienceAlert - Researchers used the integrated field unit on the JWST's NIRSpec to determine the gravitational effect of the black hole on surrounding gas and to map the elements present in it.

Gizmodo - The team traced the effects of the black hole's gravity on the gas swirling around it and mapped the distribution of various elements in the gas.

Gizmodo - The scientists used Webb’s Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to find that the gas orbits a central point in a manner consistent with Keplerian motion.

Gizmodo - The velocity measurements of the surrounding gas were used to directly calculate the mass of the black hole.

(UPDATED May 29, 2026 16:15 UTC)

Astronomers have confirmed that the black hole Abell2744-QSO1 is a staggering 50 million times the mass of the Sun, surpassing previous estimates by 10 million. This finding indicates that the black hole was likely born large, rather than forming from a collapsing star, and it constitutes about two-thirds of QSO1’s total mass, a ratio significantly greater than that found in nearby galaxies. The team achieved this groundbreaking measurement by analyzing the velocity of the surrounding gas, marking the first direct calculation of a black hole's mass within the first billion years after the Big Bang.

(UPDATED May 29, 2026 13:59 UTC)

Scientists have confirmed that the black hole Abell2744-QSO1 has a mass of 50 million times that of the Sun, which is 10 million more than earlier estimates. This discovery challenges existing models of black hole formation, suggesting that these cosmic giants may not grow in the hierarchical manner that was previously believed. Researchers utilized the integrated field unit on the JWST's NIRSpec to assess the black hole's gravitational influence on surrounding gas and to map the elements present in its vicinity.

(UPDATED May 29, 2026 08:17 UTC)

Scientists have confirmed that the black hole known as Abell2744-QSO1 is approximately 50 million times the mass of the Sun, solidifying its classification as a supermassive black hole. This discovery highlights a remarkable relationship between the black hole and its galaxy, with proportions that are thousands of times greater than those found in nearby galaxies. Additionally, the chemical composition of QSO1 reveals it is primarily made up of hydrogen and helium, containing very few heavier elements like oxygen, and the mass was calculated using velocity measurements of the surrounding gas, marking a significant achievement in black hole research.

(UPDATED May 29, 2026 06:21 UTC)

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, including Roberto Maiolino, Francesco D’Eugenio, and lead author Ignas Juodžbalis, have made a groundbreaking discovery using the James Webb Space Telescope, revealing evidence of supermassive black holes evolving independently of host galaxies. One such black hole, named Abell2744-QSO1, is estimated to be about fifty million times the mass of the Sun and constitutes around two-thirds of its total mass, suggesting it was born large rather than forming from a collapsing star. This finding, which dates back to just 700 million years after the Big Bang, challenges traditional theories of black hole formation by indicating that ancient black holes did not require significant amounts of surrounding gas and dust to grow.