They may form faster than previously known
The year 2024 has started off splendidly for black hole researchers. A team of scientists announced the oldest-yet-known black hole, clocking in at over 13 billion years old. But the black hole is raising new questions, too. The black hole’s size exceeds what scientists previously believed was possible at such an early stage in the evolution of the universe. According to standard theories of their development, it would take a billion years for a black hole of this magnitude to form. Here’s hoping that more ancient black holes are found, so that we might better understand how they form, and continue to shape the universe as we know it.
