Astronomers have discovered the brightest object ever observed in space. Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) have identified a quasar described as “the brightest of its kind” and “the most luminous object ever observed,” according to a statement. Quasars are extremely bright galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes at their centers. As gas and dust fall into these black holes, they release electromagnetic radiation and create intense light, as Newsweek reports.
This newly discovered quasar not only has a record luminosity but is also growing rapidly, a characteristic of the brightest quasars in the galaxy. A study published in Nature Astronomy says this quasar, named J0529-4351, is growing at a rate equivalent to one sun per day and is more than 500 trillion times brighter than the sun.
The lead researcher described the quasar to Newsweek as “probably the most hellish place in the universe,” citing its fast-moving clouds, extreme temperatures, and massive cosmic lightning. Despite these harsh conditions, the light emitted by this quasar is extraordinary.
“We have discovered the fastest-growing black hole to date. It has the mass of 17 billion suns and consumes just over one sun per day. This makes it the most luminous object in the known universe,” said astronomer Christian Wolf. at the Australian National University (ANU) and lead author of the study.
Astronomers report that this quasar is so far from Earth that its light took more than 12 billion years to reach us. To observers on Earth, quasars appear similar to stars.
“All this light is coming from a hot accretion disk that is seven light-years across—it must be the largest accretion disk in the universe,” added ANU PhD student and co-author Samuel Lai.
Although the quasar has been visible since 1980, astronomers have only recently recognized it as such. It was initially debated whether this object was a quasar at all, as it was too bright to fit the usual profile.
The 2.3-meter telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, astronomers confirmed that it was indeed a quasar. Later, with the help of ESO’s VLT, they found it to be the brightest quasar ever found. This telescope is specially designed to measure the size of black holes, even at great distances.
“It is surprising that it has remained unknown when we already know about a million less impressive quasars. Until now it has literally been staring us in the face,” said co-author Christopher Onken, an astronomer at ANU.
Study of quasars and black holes is crucial to understanding the early universe, as they provide valuable insights into how galaxies formed and evolved.
“Personally, I like the chase,” Wolf said. “I feel like a kid again for a few minutes a day, playing treasure hunt and now bringing to the table everything I’ve learned since then.”
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