On a quiet day of cosmic observations, astronomers stumbled upon a discovery that has the potential to rewrite the science books as we know them. I'm talking about a black hole with a mass of 17 billion suns, capable of swallowing our Sun in less than 24 hours: its existence can change our understanding of the universe.
There is nothing to fear, however: let's take a step back and calmly explore the news which has "only", so to speak, a gigantic astronomical importance. The discovery, if you want to delve deeper, is detailed in this article in Nature.
Recap: what is a black hole
To understand the significance of this discovery, we must first do a brief review of what a black hole actually is. Imagine an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational pull. This is the simplified definition of a black hole, but as with any astronomical concept, the reality is much more complicated and fascinating.
Just to clarify: the newly discovered black hole, labeled by the media as "the monster that may have threatened the Sun", is in reality a quasar. These celestial objects are essentially supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, which attract an immense amount of matter to themselves. This matter, before being swallowed, reaches very high speeds and heats up to emit incredible quantities of light.
Quasar J0529-4351 can eat a Sun as if it were a peanut
The protagonist of our story is the quasar J0529-4351, located in the constellation Pictor. According to studies, this black hole has a mass of 17 billion suns: a figure that dwarfs the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. The latter, although enormous, has a mass of "just" 4 million suns.
The brightness of the newly discovered quasar is such that it can be compared to 200 trillion suns: it is one of the brightest objects in the known universe.
Why did I tell you not to be afraid? Because it's true. This cosmic giant is located 12 billion light years away from us. The light we see today originated from the quasar when the universe was still in its first billion years of existence. This means we are looking back in time, observing the quasar as it was long ago, when our galaxy and our Sun (which recently he's a little nervous for his own reasons) didn't even exist.
The accretion disk: a cosmic disco
Every self-respecting black hole has its accretion disk, a sort of cosmic disco where matter dances to frenetic rhythms before disappearing into thin air.
This disk is made up of gas, dust and various debris which, attracted by the gravitational force of the black hole, begin to orbit around it at very high speeds. This movement generates an incredible amount of energy, heating the disc until it glows.
The accretion disk of our quasar J0529-4351 extends over 7 light years, which is almost double the distance that separates the Sun from the nearest star, Proxima Centauri.
Quasars: lighthouses of the primordial universe
Why are quasars like J0529-4351 important to astronomers? Well, because they work like lighthouses that illuminate the most remote eras of the universe. Their light travels for billions of years before reaching us, offering us a window into the cosmic past. These bright giants tell us a lot about how forming galaxies were made and about the distribution of matter in the young universe.
The discovery of such a massive and luminous quasar, therefore, is a huge astronomical record.
Our Sun is safe
Despite the somewhat sensationalist headlines, the “monster that may have threatened the sun” is actually a gentle giant, at least for us. Located 12 billion light-years away, this quasar has more to do with the distant past of the universe than with our current existence. Its discovery, however, is a reminder that the universe is full of unfathomable wonders and forces that far surpass our understanding.
Yes, this black hole has the ability to swallow our Sun in a few hours. The only thing we risk swallowing, however, is humility. Each discovery of this caliber reminds us how little we know about the universe and how exciting the journey in search of new knowledge is.
The next time you look up at the starry sky, remember that every point of light could hide secrets just waiting to be discovered. And maybe, maybe in some remote corner of the universe, someone is looking in our direction and marveling in the same way.
