UHZ1

UHZ1
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationSculptor
Right ascension00h 14m 16.096s
Declination−30° 22′ 40.285″
Redshift10.1
Distance13.2 Gly (4.047 Gpc) (light travel distance)
31.7 Gly (9.719 Gpc) (comoving distance)
Characteristics
Size21,000 ly (in diameter)

UHZ1 is a background galaxy containing a quasar. At a redshift of approximately 10.1, UHZ1 is at a distance of 13.2 billion light-years, seen when our universe was about 3 percent of its current age.[1][2] This redshift made it the most distant, and therefore earliest known quasar in the observable universe as of 2023.[3][4] To detect this object, astronomers working at the Chandra X-ray Observatory used the Abell 2744's cluster mass as a gravitational lens in order to magnify distant objects directly behind it.[5] At the time of discovery, it exceeded the distance record of QSO J0313−1806.[6]

The discovery of this object has led astronomers to suggest the seeds of the first quasars may have been direct-collapse black holes, from the collapse of supermassive primordial stars at the beginning of our universe.[2]

  1. ^ "APOD: 2023 November 10 - UHZ1: Distant Galaxy and Black Hole". apod.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  2. ^ a b Whalen, Daniel J.; Latif, Muhammad A.; Mezcua, Mar (2023-10-01). "Radio Emission From a z = 10.1 Black Hole in UHZ1". The Astrophysical Journal. 956 (2): 133. arXiv:2308.03837. Bibcode:2023ApJ...956..133W. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acf92c. ISSN 0004-637X.
  3. ^ Bogdan; et al. (November 6, 2023), "Evidence for heavy-seed origin of early supermassive black holes from a z≈10 x-ray quasar", Nature Astronomy, 8: 126–133, arXiv:2305.15458, doi:10.1038/s41550-023-02111-9
  4. ^ Ashley Strickland (November 7, 2023). "Telescopes spot the oldest and most distant black hole formed after the big bang". CNN.
  5. ^ UHZ1 album, Chandra observatory, Smithsonian Inst., accessed 2023-11-07
  6. ^ Cosmin Ilie, Katherine Freese, Andreea Petric, Jillian Paulin (21 December 2023), UHZ1 and the other three most distant quasars observed: possible evidence for Supermassive Dark Stars, arXiv:2312.13837{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)