Overview

• JWST’s COSMOS-Web survey first identified a third luminous source between the two nuclei of the figure-eight Infinity galaxy collision.
• Follow-up data from the Keck Observatory, Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Very Large Array confirm energetic X-ray and radio emissions consistent with a nascent supermassive black hole.
• The black hole’s position in hot, shocked gas supports the direct collapse model rather than growth from smaller stellar remnants.
• Two papers detailing the discovery have been submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters and are available on arXiv pending peer review.
• This real-time glimpse into black hole birth offers critical insights into early-universe conditions and the rapid emergence of cosmic giants.