James Webb Telescope Discovers Supermassive Black Holes in Cosmic Owl and Jekyll-Hyde Galaxies

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have made significant discoveries involving supermassive black holes in two galaxies: the 'Cosmic Owl' and the 'Jekyll and Hyde.' In the Cosmic Owl galaxy, researchers found a runaway black hole, approximately 10 million times the mass of the sun, traveling at an astonishing speed of 2.2 million miles per hour.

This is the first confirmed case of such a fast-moving supermassive black hole, which is pushing a galaxy-sized bow shock of matter ahead of it and dragging a 200,000 light-year-long tail where new star formation is occurring, according to Pieter van Dokkum from Yale University, who led the discovery team.

The conditions that ejected this black hole likely stem from the merger of two galaxies. The second discovery involves an ancient galaxy, nicknamed Virgil, classified as a 'Jekyll and Hyde' galaxy. Optical observations showed it as a typical star-forming galaxy, but infrared observations by JWST revealed a supermassive black hole at its core.

Researchers, including George Rieke from the University of Arizona, noted that Virgil's black hole is categorized as 'overmassive,' challenging previous theories about galaxy evolution that suggested black holes grow alongside their host galaxies.

The findings highlight the JWST's capability to uncover hidden cosmic phenomena and deepen our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, suggesting that supermassive black holes may exist in forms previously unobserved by other telescopes.