Earliest known compact quasar pair poses a black hole growth puzzle

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Astronomers have found the earliest known compact pair of quasars, dating to about 900 million years after the Big Bang. The actively feeding black holes are unexpectedly massive for so early in cosmic history, and researchers say current theories do not explain their growth.

The oldest pair of compact quasars ever observed has been found only 900 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists say there is no theoretical explanation for how the pair of actively feeding black holes grew so massive at such an early time in the history of the universe. The pair of quasars has been given the Hawaiian nickname Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua.