Astronomers Uncover 77 Elusive Red Quasars Obscured by Cosmic Dust
मुख्य बातें
- •NASA’s SPHEREx telescope discovered 77 rare red quasars obscured by cosmic dust, challenging previous rarity assumptions.
- •These quasars appear red due to dust blocking shorter wavelengths, revealing hidden black hole activity.
- •The findings support the theory that galaxy mergers trigger rapid black hole growth and influence galaxy evolution.
- •SPHEREx’s infrared mapping capability is crucial for observing dust-obscured celestial objects.
In a groundbreaking discovery, an international team of astronomers has identified 77 rare red quasars that were previously obscured by thick layers of cosmic dust. The findings, made possible by NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope, shed light on the role of galaxy mergers in triggering rapid black hole growth and shaping the evolution of galaxies.
Quasars, which are among the brightest objects in the universe, are powered by supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies. The newly discovered red quasars emit a distinctive reddish hue due to the dust surrounding them, which absorbs and scatters shorter-wavelength light. This discovery challenges earlier assumptions that such quasars were extremely rare, suggesting they may be far more common than previously believed.
