A faraway fluctuating quasar has been seen dimming and brightening by an extraordinary amount, changes in luminosity equivalent to 2 trillion times the brightness of the sun.

early universe

Who

Gene Leung, Anna-Christina Eilers

What

When

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT · 3h 22m ago

Where

early universe ·

Why

This quasar, dating back 12.9 billion years, is the first flickering quasar seen in the early universe, and its rapid growth suggests that supermassive black holes formed and grew faster than previously thought.

The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

The discovery of a rapidly flickering and mature quasar in the early universe challenges existing theories on how supermassive black holes grow, suggesting these objects develop much faster than previously understood. This could lead to a re-evaluation of models describing the evolution of galaxies and the universe itself.

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Verified Sources & Citations

Space
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/could-the-secret-to-black-hole-formation-be-locked-away-in-this-record-breaking-ancient-quasar
HIGH

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