A Single, 'Naked' Black Hole Rewrites the History of the Universe | Quanta Magazine

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered QSO1, a 'naked' black hole weighing 50 million solar masses in the early universe, challenging existing theories of cosmic evolution. Unlike typical black holes found within galaxies, QSO1 appears largely isolated, suggesting it might have formed directly from the primordial soup of the Big Bang, as proposed by Stephen Hawking. This discovery is part of observations of "little red dots" by JWST, which indicate a chaotic early cosmos. Researchers like Roberto Maiolino and Lukas Furtak confirmed its identity and mass, while others, including Priyamvada Natarajan, are exploring various alternative theories for its unusual formation, moving beyond the conventional model of stars collapsing and merging.