Oldest Found Supermassive Blackhole
As of today, May 23, 2024, the title of oldest known black hole belongs to a monster lurking in a galaxy called GN-z11. This cosmic heavyweight is estimated to be a whopping 13 billion years old, dating back just 400 million years after the Big Bang!
This discovery was made in early 2024 using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. By studying the light emitted from GN-z11, astronomers were able to detect signatures of an accretion disk, a swirling mass of superheated gas and dust feeding the black hole. This intense activity suggests the presence of a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center.
It's important to note that our understanding of the universe is constantly evolving. New discoveries and advancements in technology could lead to us finding even older black holes in the future!