Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Astronomers have identified the brightest object ever observed in the universe, a quasar named J0529-4351. This quasar is 500 trillion times brighter than the Sun, setting a new record for celestial luminosity.
The quasar was detected using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. Its incredible brightness is powered by a supermassive black hole at its core.
The black hole at the heart of J0529-4351 is growing at an unprecedented rate, consuming the mass equivalent of one Sun per day. With a mass of 17 billion Suns, it is the fastest-growing black hole ever discovered.
The light from this quasar has traveled over 12 billion years to reach Earth, providing astronomers with valuable insights into the early universe.
Despite its brightness, J0529-4351 was initially misclassified as a star in earlier sky surveys due to its extreme luminosity. It had been visible since 1980 but was only correctly identified as a quasar in recent years.
Discovering such bright quasars is difficult, as they can be mistaken for nearby stars by automated analysis systems. The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite initially overlooked J0529-4351 for this reason.
This discovery opens new possibilities for studying the early universe, including the formation of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. The quasar will be a key target for future observations using advanced instruments like the GRAVITY+ upgrade on ESO's VLT Interferometer and the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope.