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Science13 hr ago

Webb Telescope Reveals How Supermassive Black Holes Grow

By TrendingWire Newsroom

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has given astronomers a new understanding of how supermassive black holes feed themselves. These enormous black holes, which lie at the centers of most galaxies, grow by pulling in gas and dust from their surroundings. Until now, the details of this process were unclear. Using JWST's powerful infrared vision, scientists observed the region around a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. They saw cold gas and dust spiraling inward, forming a disk that gradually feeds the black hole. The telescope also detected outflows of energy and material that push away some of the infalling gas, regulating the black hole's growth. This feedback mechanism explains why supermassive black holes do not consume all surrounding matter. The observations confirm theoretical models that have long predicted such a feeding cycle. JWST's ability to see through dust clouds and capture high-resolution images was key to this discovery. The findings help scientists understand how galaxies and their central black holes evolve together over cosmic time. Further studies will explore how this process affects star formation and galaxy development.

Sources: Space.com
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