Astronomers have made a major scientific breakthrough by discovering a huge black hole growing nearly two-and-a-half times faster than the theoretical limit.
The celestial object has growth patterns that surpass what scientists previously considered possible.
This discovery emerged from observations of a distant region of space, where researchers detected unusual activity suggesting extreme matter consumption.
The findings indicate a fundamental challenge to existing theoretical frameworks.
"It was a bit shocking to see this black hole growing by leaps and bounds," said Luca Ighina from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The celestial entity known as RACS J032035 exhibits consumption patterns that exceed scientific expectations by a factor of 2.4.
This cosmic giant engulfs material at rates ranging from 300 to 3,000 solar equivalents each year.
With a mass approximately one billion times greater than our sun, this "supermassive" black hole continues its relentless expansion.
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RACS J032035 is expanding at 2.4 times the rate of the theoretical limit
| NasaThe object draws vast quantities of gas, dust and stellar debris from its surroundings.
This material forms an intensely luminous accretion disc as it spirals towards the black hole's event horizon.
Extreme radiation is then emitted during this process, allowing telescopes to detect the phenomenon across vast cosmic distances.
This remarkable phenomenon was detected by Nasa's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has orbited Earth for over 25 years.
The space telescope's observations revealed that RACS J032035 generates more X-ray radiation than any comparable object from the universe's first billion years.
Situated at a distance of 12.8 billion light-years, the black hole's light has travelled for aeons to reach our instruments.
This immense separation means astronomers observe the object as it existed merely 920 million years following the Big Bang.
The ancient cosmic monster's extraordinary X-ray output stems from its aggressive consumption of surrounding matter, creating detectable radiation signatures across the cosmos.
There are an estimated 40 quintillion black holes
|PA
The Eddington limit represents a theoretical boundary where radiation pressure should overwhelm gravitational attraction, preventing further matter accumulation.
Yet this cosmic anomaly continues its expansion at 2.4 times this supposed maximum threshold.
Scientists remain puzzled by how RACS J032035 maintains its extraordinary feeding rate whilst seemingly violating fundamental physics principles.
The theoretical framework suggests that radiation pressure should expel incoming material once the Eddington limit is reached.