Astronomers have discovered the oldest and most distant black hole — a behemoth that likely formed at the dawn of the universe, more than 13 billion years ago.

The black hole lies at the center of a galaxy known as CAPERS-LRD-z9. Both cosmic objects are thought to have formed around 13.3 billion years ago, or just 500 million years after the big bang that created the universe . (The big bang theory suggests the universe started as an ultradense, extremely hot point that rapidly expanded out in all directions in a chaotic event some 13.8 billion years ago.)

The black hole discovery, described in a study published Wednesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters , could shed light on the universe’s earliest days and provide insight into how black holes and galaxies evolved.

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