Webb Space Telescope Reveals Black Hole That Formed Before Its Host Galaxy (esa.int)

• First direct mass measurement of a black hole in the first billion years after the Big Bang.
• Black hole of 50 million solar masses predates its galaxy, suggesting direct collapse origin.
• Keplerian gas motion and low metallicity confirm pristine early-Universe environment.

"Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers mapped gas motion around a black hole in galaxy Abell2744-QSO1, 13 billion light-years away. The 50-million-solar-mass black hole appears to predate its galaxy, possibly forming within the first second after the Big Bang. This direct measurement supports the theory of 'heavy seed' or direct collapse black holes, challenging the conventional galaxy-first formation model."