ESA reported that Euclid identified 31 previously unknown quasars from the early universe. The sample includes two objects observed as they were roughly 670 million years after the Big Bang.
Why it matters
A quasar is a bright galactic nucleus powered by matter accreting onto a supermassive black hole. Finding such massive systems so early places constraints on explanations of how black holes formed and grew.
A larger sample also helps researchers move beyond the unusually bright objects that are easiest to detect. Population studies can test whether growth models explain the broader distribution of early quasars.
The physics to watch
Redshift connects the observed spectrum to cosmic expansion. Inferring an age requires a cosmological model. These observations constrain early black-hole growth; they do not by themselves establish a single formation mechanism.
This brief summarises ESA’s announcement of 6 July 2026. Follow the source and research paper below for the observations, methods, and uncertainties.
