Astronomers can’t figure out why some black holes got so big so fast

These behemoths defy expectations of how quickly black holes feed

supermassive black hole illustration

TOO BIG, TOO SOON  Supermassive black holes that are actively feeding on gas and dust, like the one shown in this artist’s rendition, have been spotted in the early universe — before they should have had time to grow.

NAOJ

The existence of supermassive black holes in the early universe has never made much sense to astronomers.