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JWST measures record-distant 6 billion-solar-mass black hole in early-universe galaxy.

6/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers led by Andrew Newman, lead author, used JWST to measure a black hole in galaxy MRG-M0138, estimating six billion solar masses.
Galaxy is 10 billion light-years away, light from when universe was three billion years old.
A cluster magnified it ~30 times, letting JWST see stars near the black hole.
Published in Science, the result, the farthest black-hole mass measurement, will be pursued with Euclid, Roman and Giant Magellan Telescope.

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Story summary

Researchers led by Andrew Newman, lead author, used JWST to measure a black hole in galaxy MRG-M0138, estimating six billion solar masses.
Galaxy is 10 billion light-years away, light from when universe was three billion years old.
A cluster magnified it ~30 times, letting JWST see stars near the black hole.
Published in Science, the result, the farthest black-hole mass measurement, will be pursued with Euclid, Roman and Giant Magellan Telescope.