Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found exciting new clues suggesting that a supermassive black hole may be hiding at the center of the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 83 (M83), also known as the Southern Pinwheel galaxy.
This discovery, made with Webb’s powerful Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), reveals highly energized neon gas near the galaxy’s core—an important hint that a black hole could be there.
M83 has puzzled scientists for decades.
Most large spiral galaxies are known to have supermassive black holes at their centers, often creating a bright phenomenon called an active galactic nucleus (AGN).
However, previous searches in M83 found no clear evidence. If a black hole was there, researchers thought it must be dormant or hidden behind thick clouds of dust.
Now, thanks to Webb’s extraordinary ability to see through dust and detect faint signals, astronomers have spotted something new.
“Our discovery of highly ionized neon emission in the center of M83 was unexpected,” said Svea Hernandez, the lead author of the study.
“The amount of energy needed to create this kind of emission is far greater than what normal stars can produce. This strongly points to the presence of an active black hole.”
Before Webb, astronomers simply didn’t have the right tools to detect such faint and deeply hidden signs in galaxies like M83. Webb’s mid-infrared vision has now opened a window into parts of the universe that were once invisible.
The highly ionized gas clumps found near M83’s center suggest an intense energy source, most likely an AGN, but the team is still considering other possibilities, like extreme shock waves in the galaxy’s interstellar material.
More research is needed to be sure.
“This discovery shows how Webb is changing what we know about galaxies,” said Linda Smith, a co-author of the study. “Astronomers had almost given up on finding a black hole in M83, but now we have strong new evidence that challenges old ideas.”
The research team plans to use other powerful observatories, such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT), to follow up and confirm whether the hidden energy source really is a supermassive black hole.
As scientists continue to explore with Webb, we are gaining new insights into the hidden forces that shape galaxies—and getting closer to solving some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.
