---
title: "Astronomers discover 'impossible' quasar pair in the early universe: modern physics fails to explain their existence"
description: "NSF NOIRLab astronomers have discovered a pair of supermassive quasars, J1602+4228AB, existing only 900 million years after the Big Bang. Their scale cannot be explained by current black hole formation models."
date: 2026-11-14T17:12:26.537Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/astronomers-discover-impossible-quasar-pair
tags: [quasars, black-holes, early-universe, jwst, astrophysics, cosmology, nsf-noirlab]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Astronomers discover 'impossible' quasar pair in the early universe: modern physics fails to explain their existence

![Two bright black holes in space, surrounded by glowing gas disks and stellar dust](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/astronomers-found-impossible-quasar-pair-early-universe/astronomers-found-impossible-quasar-pair-early-universe-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The quasar pair J1602+4228AB (Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua) exists just 900 million years after the Big Bang
- Detection was performed via the Aether program on JWST and confirmed by the Gemini North telescope in two nights
- Current theoretical models do not explain how two supermassive black holes reached such sizes so early
- Research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2026), led by Silvia Onorato (NSF NOIRLab)

An international team of astronomers led by Silvia Onorato of NSF NOIRLab has announced the discovery of the oldest and most compact pair of quasars in observational history. The object, cataloged as J1602+4228AB and given the Hawaiian name Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua, exists in the era of the cosmic dawn — just 900 million years after the Big Bang. The research results were published in the peer-reviewed journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters in 2026. The discovery challenges established models of supermassive black hole formation and galaxy development in the first billion years of the universe's existence.

### How two bodies were distinguished at a distance of 13 billion light-years

The initial detection of the pair was performed as part of the Aether program using the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) spectrograph, which surveyed more than 200 quasars. However, to confirm that these were indeed two separate objects rather than a single distorted source, the team switched to the ground-based Gemini North telescope located on the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii. Thanks to exceptionally favorable weather conditions and high atmospheric transparency, the scientists managed to complete verification in just two nights of observation — a timeframe considered record-breaking for such tasks.

### Why the existence of this pair contradicts current models

According to the standard cosmological picture, in the first billion years after the Big Bang, active galaxies gradually formed the first supermassive black holes at their centers. The growth process was assumed to be long and gradual. The Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua pair, however, demonstrates scales impossible to explain within existing theoretical models: two supermassive black holes in close orbital proximity had already reached sizes by the 900-million-year mark of the universe that, according to calculations, would have required significantly more time. The researchers explicitly point out that, at present, there is no definitive theoretical explanation for how a single giant black hole could have gained such mass so early, let alone a pair of such objects in close proximity.

### The 'dense region' hypothesis of the early universe

As a working explanation, the study's authors propose the hypothesis that Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua formed in a region of the early universe with an anomalously high density of baryonic matter. In such an environment, galaxy interactions could simultaneously accelerate the birth of new stars and the feeding of matter into black holes, creating conditions for super-fast growth. Nevertheless, this hypothesis remains speculative: it is not confirmed by direct observations and is not integrated into generally accepted galaxy formation simulations. This is why the pair of quasars represents a rare opportunity for astrophysicists to reconsider the notions of how galaxies were formed and how the early universe developed.

### Context: a series of anomalous discoveries in the early universe

The detection of J1602+4228AB is not an isolated incident. In 2026, astronomers already reported a number of objects in the early universe whose parameters fall outside the scope of standard models — including unusually bright red sources with hidden black holes inside. The combination of such findings suggests that our understanding of the speed and mechanisms of supermassive black hole growth in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang likely requires significant revision. Future observations by the JWST and next-generation ground-based telescopes, according to the researchers, will allow for the refinement of the pair's parameters and possibly the discovery of additional examples of such systems.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [В ранней Вселенной нашли невозможную пару черных дыр: ученые не могут объяснить, как она возникла](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rannomu-vsesviti-znayshli-nemozhlivu-paru-1794499379.html) - Primary source. Contains all key facts: object name, publication date in ApJL 2026, lead researcher, detection method (Aether/JWST + Gemini North), dense region hypothesis. Data consistent.
- [В космосе обнаружили неизвестный ранее вид черных дыр](https://www.gazeta.ru/science/news/2026/08/14/29099533.shtml) - Describes a different discovery (red object with BH ~100k M☉ in the early universe). Used only as context for the series of anomalous 2026 findings, does not contradict the main material.

## FAQ

### What is Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua and where is it located?

Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua (catalog J1602+4228AB) is a pair of supermassive quasars existing at a distance corresponding to the era 900 million years after the Big Bang. The Hawaiian name means 'two shining eyes'.

### Which instrument was used to detect the quasar pair?

Initial detection was performed by the JWST spectrograph under the Aether program (covering over 200 quasars). Confirmation of the separation into two bodies was conducted on the ground-based Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, over two nights of observation.

### Why is this discovery important for cosmology?

Existing models do not explain how two supermassive black holes could gain the observed mass and end up in close orbital proximity just 900 million years after the Big Bang. This indicates a need to revise theories of galaxy formation and black hole growth in the early universe.