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.

Light takes time t

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