science
Euclid Telescope Spots Quasar from 662 Million Years After Big Bang
The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has identified a quasar whose light left its source 662 million years after the Big Bang. The object replaces the previous record holder, found in 2021, which dates to 677 million years after the Big Bang.
Jul 14, 9:00 AM·1m read1 source
Science NewsAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Astronomers have identified a quasar whose light originated 662 million years after the Big Bang, setting a new distance record. The object, designated EUCL J1729, was detected by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope and is described in a study published July 6 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
The previous record holder, discovered in 2021, dates to 677 million years after the Big Bang. Euclid’s infrared observations allow detection of objects whose visible light has been stretched into infrared wavelengths by cosmic expansion.
In its first 18 months of operation, Euclid identified 12 quasars earlier than 770 million years after the Big Bang. Before the mission, only nine such objects were known. The three most distant quasars in the new sample, including the record holder, are fainter than previously detected examples at similar distances.
Researchers plan follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope to measure the objects’ masses and surrounding environments. Euclid’s six-year mission, launched in 2024, is intended to map roughly one-third of the sky in infrared light. The telescope could detect quasars as early as 645 million years after the Big Bang later this year.
