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Scientists initially were studying 1,000 galaxies formed when the universe was between 2.5 and 4.5 billion years old. The galaxies were believed to be without the black hole-laced quasars. Observations with the Spitzer infrared telescope, however, revealed about 200 of the galaxies were radiating an unusual amount of infrared light. When combined with X-ray images from the Chandra observatory, astronomers found that the galaxies were hiding quasars inside. Previously only a handful of the most energetic quasars were found in ancient structures. "We found most of the population of hidden quasars in the early universe," said Emanuele Daddi of the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique in France, who led the team of researchers. The scientists estimate the number of black holes found to be in the hundreds of millions. The findings, which will be published in the Nov. 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal, are helping astronomers understand how the first galaxies in the universe formed. Among the realizations: stars and black holes built up simultaneously until the black holes got so big that they suppressed star formation. Related Links: |
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