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The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the quasar W2246-0526, one of the most luminous objects in the universe, located 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. New findings reveal that polar dust may be responsible for the extreme infrared glow of this distant "Hot DOG" (Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxy). The observations provide unprecedented details about the dust distribution around this extraordinarily bright quasar.
Why it matters
Understanding how dust is distributed around early universe quasars helps scientists learn about galaxy formation and evolution in the universe's first billion years. These findings challenge previous assumptions about what causes extreme luminosity in distant galaxies and may reshape models of how supermassive black holes interact with their host galaxies.
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed fresh details about one of the most luminous known objects in the universe: the dust-shrouded quasar W2246−0526, seen just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The paper outlining the results was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on May 14.
Source: Universe's most distant 'Hot DOG' yet may owe extreme infrared glow to polar dust, Webb reveals
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