Astronomers measure the mass of a dormant black hole, our solar system's lost protoplanet, and more science stories
Astronomers have utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to measure the mass of a dormant black hole located 10 billion light-years away, marking the farthest such measurement to date. This observation, aided by gravitational lensing, offers insights into the formation of early galaxies and massive black holes. Separately, analysis of a rare meteorite suggests it originated from a protoplanet in our solar system that existed 4.5 billion years ago, providing evidence for a distinct planetary formation pathway. AI
IMPACT Insights into black hole formation and early solar system development from new astronomical observations.