Astronomers Uncover Hidden Supermassive Black Holes from Cosmic Dawn

Quick Summary:

• Astronomers used teh Subaru Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover seven hidden, dust-shrouded quasars powered by supermassive black holes from the early universe, less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
• These are the first confirmed detections of luminous but dust-hidden quasars during “Cosmic Dawn,” a period when early stars and galaxies formed.
• analysis suggests that quasars may have been twice as common during Cosmic Dawn as previously believed.
• The study involved examining 11 luminous galaxies using JWST’s infrared capabilities,detecting faint emissions otherwise absorbed by cosmic dust.
• Shrouded quasars emitted energy equivalent to trillions of suns while being powered by black holes billions of times more massive than our Sun.
• Researchers found that dust absorbs 99.9% of ultraviolet emissions and 70% of visible light from these quasars.
• This revelation could significantly expand understanding of supermassive black hole populations in the early universe.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

India has ambitious goals in space exploration and astronomy, exemplified by ISRO missions like AstroSat for studying distant cosmic phenomena.While this groundbreaking study primarily involves international efforts, it underscores aspirational benchmarks for Indian astronomers who have been making advances in studying deep-space objects through facilities such as GMRT (Giant Meterwave radio Telescope) in Pune.

The findings highlight innovative techniques leveraging complementary tools like Subaru’s wide-field surveys and JWST’s infrared depth-a model India can emulate through strategic international collaborations or enhancing domestic telescope arrays integrated with next-gen space telescopes under progress globally. Understanding supermassive black holes at Cosmic Dawn could also intersect with India’s broader scientific ambitions to contribute effectively to humanity’s comprehension of worldwide evolution.

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