The JWST finds more overmassive black holes. This time in dwarf galaxies

The JWST finds more overmassive black holes. This time in dwarf galaxies

One of the things astronomers find when they look around at galaxies is a correlation between a galaxy's mass and the mass of its supermassive black hole. Contrary to popular belief, these SMBH don't anchor their galaxies; they make up only a small portion of a galaxy's mass. In local galaxies, the ratio of SMBH mass to galaxy mass is about 0.1%–0.5%.

JWST Finds Massive Black Holes in Tiny Dwarf Galaxies, Defying All Expectations

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered a pair of dwarf galaxies with black holes that defy conventional understanding. These black holes, located in galaxies with masses far smaller than those typically associated with supermassive black holes (SMBHs), challenge long-held beliefs about how galaxies and their central black holes evolve. The discovery of these “overmassive” black holes pushes the boundaries of our knowledge, suggestin…