Astronomers have found the most luminous object ever observed in the universe, a quasar that surpasses all others in brightness. Detected with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), this  discovery has amazed scientists with its intense light and rapid expansion.

The Quasar J0529-4351: A Cosmic Powerhouse

Quasars are incredibly bright centres of galaxies, powered by supermassive black holes. As gas and dust spiral into these black holes, they emit vast amounts of electromagnetic radiation, creating a dazzling light show. The newly discovered quasar, named J0529-4351, stands out not only for its unprecedented brightness but also for its astonishing growth rate. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that J0529-4351 is expanding at a pace equivalent to absorbing one sun per day and shines over 500 trillion times brighter than our sun.

Christian Wolf, a leading astronomer at the Australian National University (ANU), describes J0529-4351 as "possibly the most hellish place in the Universe," with its extreme conditions of high-speed clouds, scorching temperatures, and massive cosmic lightning storms. Despite these harsh conditions, the light it emits is extraordinary.

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A Window into the Early Cosmos

The quasar’s light has been travelling across the universe for over 12 billion years, offering a glimpse into the early cosmos. Samuel Lai, an ANU PhD student and co-author of the study, notes that the quasar’s light originates from a hot accretion disc – a swirling mass of gas and dust measuring seven light-years across, believed to be the largest known accretion disc in the universe.

Although visible since 1980, the true nature of the quasar was only confirmed recently. Initially, its extreme brightness puzzled astronomers, who debated whether it could be classified as a quasar. It was only through observations with a 2.3-metre telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia that scientists confirmed it as a quasar. The VLT’s powerful capabilities later revealed it to be the brightest quasar ever identified.

Christopher Onken, an astronomer at ANU and co-author of the study, expressed amazement at how this remarkable quasar had remained hidden for so long. "It’s surprising that it stayed unnoticed while we already know of about a million less bright quasars. It’s been right there, waiting for us to notice."

"Studying quasars like J0529-4351 helps us piece together the universe's story," Wolf explains. "But it’s also about the excitement of the hunt, the joy of discovery that keeps us looking up at the stars."