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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Ian Sample Science editor

Supermassive black hole at heart of ancient galaxy ‘far larger than expected’

GS-9209 galaxy on star map
GS-9209, spotted by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, is among the earliest galaxies yet discovered. Photograph: G Brammer/C Williams/A Carnall

A supermassive black hole discovered at the heart of an ancient galaxy is five times larger than expected for the number of stars it contains, astronomers say.

Researchers spotted the immense black hole in a galaxy known as GS-9209 that lies 25bn light-years from Earth, making it one of the most distant to have been observed and recorded.

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