TON 618 – Largest Black Hole Ever, often referred to as Tonantzintla 618 is a hyperluminous, supermassive or an ultramassive black hole, classified as a radio-loud quasar and Lyman-alpha blob that lies near the border of the constellations Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici. Its estimated distance from Earth is 18.2 billion light-years.
The mass of TON 618 is equivalent to 66 billion solar masses. Given that TON 618 has a radius of more than 13,000 astronomical units (AU), if the black hole were situated in the middle of the solar system, you would have traveled less than 5% of the distance to its edge by the time you arrived at Pluto.
What is TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever)’s Distance from Earth?
TON 618 resides in the constellation Ursa Major within the galaxy NGC 4051, roughly 18.2 billion light-years from Earth.
What is the Luminosity of TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever)?
It is one of the brightest objects in the known Universe, shining with a brightness of 4×1040 watts, or as brightly as 140 trillion times that of the Sun, with an absolute magnitude of −30.7.
What is the Mass of TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever)?
TON 618, an ultramassive black hole, has an estimated mass of 1.31274 x 10^41 kilograms (kg). TON 618 is 41 quintillion times more massive than Earth, 66 billion times more massive than the Sun, 36,666 times more massive than our entire solar system, and 16,500 times more massive than Sagittarius A*.
Similar to other quasars, TON 618 has a broad-line area spectrum with emission lines from colder gas located well outside the accretion disk. The brightness of the quasar radiation that illuminates the broad-line area may be used to assess its size.
Shemmer and associates determined the widths of the Hβ spectral line of at least 29 quasars, including TON 618, using both NV and CIV emission lines. This allowed them to determine the mass of the central black hole directly from the accretion rates of the quasars.
The TON 618 spectrum shows unusually wide emission lines, suggesting that the gas is moving at a very high speed. The full width half maxima of TON 618 is the largest of the 29 quasars, and direct measurements of the Hβ line reveal hints of infalling material falling at a speed of 10,500 km/s, indicating a very strong gravitational force.
This measurement indicates that TON 618’s core black hole has a mass of at least 66 billion solar masses. This is thought to be one of the greatest masses yet detected for such an entity. it is 16,500 times more massive than Sagittarius A*, the core black hole of the Milky Way, and larger than the aggregate mass of all stars in the Milky Way galaxy, which is 64 billion solar masses.
What is the Size of TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever)?
Given its tremendous mass, TON 618 could fit into a recently suggested category of ultramassive black holes. The radius of a black hole of this mass is estimated to be 1,300 AU, or around 390 billion km in diameter, which is more than 40 times the distance between Neptune and the Sun.
When and Who Discovered TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever)?
The tale of TON 618 began in 1957, during a regular sky survey at the Tonantzintla Observatory in Mexico. The object, abbreviated Tonantzintla 618, first seemed to be a dim blue star (mostly white dwarfs) located out from the Milky Way’s plane.
On photographic plates acquired with the 0.7 m Schmidt telescope at the Tonantzintla Observatory in Mexico, it appeared “decidedly violet” and was entered as entry number 618 in the Tonantzintla Catalogue by Mexican astronomers Braulio Iriarte and Enrique Chavira.
In 1970, a radio survey near Bologna, Italy identified radio radiation from TON 618, indicating that it was a quasar. Marie-Helene Ulrich then collected optical spectra of TON 618 at McDonald Observatory, which revealed emission lines indicative of a quasar.
Ulrich reasoned from the lines’ high redshift that TON 618 was quite distant, making it one of the most brilliant quasars known.
What is the Structure (Anatomy) of TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever)?
As a quasar, TON 618 is thought to be the active galactic nucleus at the heart of a galaxy, powered by a ultramassive black hole feeding on very hot gas and matter in an accretion disk. The light from the quasar is believed to be 10.8 billion years old. Because of the center quasar’s brightness, the surrounding galaxy is obscured and so invisible from Earth.
When a galaxy’s center supermassive black hole is actively eating matter, the galaxy is said to be active. Due to the enormous rate at which matter falls into the black hole, it is unable to enter at one time and instead creates a spiraling accretion disk in the form of a queue.
Event Horizon:
It is the TON 618’s surface. When anything is within TON 618, it may depart at a quicker rate than light. Therefore, anything that enters the event horizon, including light, must remain there.
Accretion Disk:
An accretion disk is the primary source of light coming from a black hole. The process by which black holes grow is referred to as accretion. Matter gradually travels inward from the disk’s outer border to its inner edge, eventually reaching the event horizon.
Massive clouds of matter descend into the disk, their core regions orbiting faster than their outer regions as they get closer to the TON 618 (much like planets orbiting faster than those farther away).
The clouds are twisted by the shear force created, and as they orbit the TON 618 at speeds varying from 10% to over 80% of light’s speed, they collide with one another. The disk heats up to millions of degrees due to friction from the rapidly moving gas clouds, which causes it to glow brightly.
Jet:
Additionally, a portion of the disk’s material is directed away from the black hole by an incredibly bright and magnetically collimated jet. The core of the active galaxy shines so brightly that it can be seen from a great distance across the universe. These jets shoot out particles at almost the speed of light.
Singularity:
Matter is crushed to an infinite density in the core of a black hole. The final destination of anything that falls on the event horizon is singularity.
TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever) as compared to Sagittarius A* (Milky Way’s Black Hole):
TON 618 Vs. Sagittarius A*
| Feature | TON 618 | Sagittarius A* |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Object | Ultramassive Black Hole | Supermassive Black Hole |
| Location | Active Galactic Nucleus in a Distant Galaxy (18.2 billion light-years away) | Center of the Milky Way Galaxy |
| Size | Defined by Event Horizon (estimated billions of kilometers in diameter) | Defined by Event Horizon (estimated 12.3 million kilometers in diameter) |
| Mass | Estimated billions to tens of billions times the Sun’s mass | Estimated 4 million to 6.5 million times the Sun’s mass |
| Activity | Classified as a Quasar (extremely luminous due to active accretion disk) | Less active than some quasars, but shows evidence of an accretion disk |
| Light Emission | Does not emit light itself (but influences light from surrounding gas) | Does not emit light itself (but influences light from surrounding gas) |
| Observability | Studied through powerful telescopes due to immense distance | Can be studied with telescopes and other instruments within our own galaxy |
TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever) as compared to Phoenix A (Phoenix Cluster’s Black Hole):
TON 618 Vs. Phoenix A
Ton 618 reigns supreme for now, but the black hole battle isn’t over. Phoenix A was once thought to be the champion, boasting a mass of around 100 billion solar masses, compared to Ton 618’s 66 billion.
With such a hefty estimate, Phoenix A’s event horizon, the point of no return, was believed to be several times wider than our solar system, dwarfing Ton 618. However, recent studies suggest these figures for Phoenix A might be inflated, throwing the true size title into question.
| Feature | Ton 618 | Phoenix A |
|---|---|---|
| Mass (solar masses) | 66 billion (Current leader) | (Likely Overestimated) |
| Event Horizon Radius (kilometers) | 390 billion | Several times the diameter of our solar system |
| Classification | Ultramassive black hole | Ultramassive black hole |
| Distance from Earth (light years) | 10.4 billion | 54 million |
| Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) | Yes | Yes |
| Most Recent Status | Holds the record for most massive black hole based on current estimates | Mass estimates might be revised in the future |
| Galaxy | Unnamed galaxy near Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices constellations | Phoenix Cluster |
TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever) as compared to our Solar System:
TON 618 Vs. Our Solar System
| Feature | TON 618 (Ultramassive Black Hole) | Our Solar System |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Object | Black Hole | Planetary System |
| Nature | Region of spacetime with immense gravity | Collection of stars, planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and dust |
| Size | Defined by Event Horizon (estimated billions of kilometers in diameter) | Extends to the orbit of Neptune (approximately 8.5 billion kilometers) |
| Mass | Estimated billions to tens of billions times the Sun’s mass | The Sun accounts for over 99.8% of the mass, with the rest distributed among planets and other objects |
| Light Emission | Does not emit light itself (but can indirectly influence light from surrounding gas) | The Sun is the primary source of light, with reflected light from planets and other objects |
| Distance from Earth | Approximately 18.2 billion light-years | We reside within the Solar System |
| Life Cycle Stage | Considered to be a very long-lived object | The Solar System is a mature system, likely several billion years old |
TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever) as compared to NGC 262 Nebula (Largest Nebula Ever)
TON 618 Vs. NGC 262 Nebula
| Feature | TON 618 (Ultramassive Black Hole) | NGC 262 Nebula (Largest Nebula Ever) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Object | Black Hole | Nebula |
| Nature | Region of spacetime with immense gravity | Cloud of gas and dust |
| Size | Defined by Event Horizon (estimated billions of kilometers in diameter) | Estimated diameter of light-years (exact size depends on measurement method) |
| Mass | Estimated billions to tens of billions times the Sun’s mass | Can vary, but typically less than the mass of the Sun |
| Light Emission | Does not emit light itself (but can indirectly influence light from surrounding gas) | Can emit faint light due to luminescence or reflection from nearby stars |
| Distance from Earth | Approximately 18.2 billion light-years | Approximately 3,200 light-years |
| Life Cycle Stage | Considered to be a very long-lived object | Nebulae are dynamic and constantly evolving |
TON 618 (Largest Black Hole Ever) as compared to our Milky Way Galaxy:
TON 618 Vs. Milky Way Galaxy
| Feature | TON 618 (Ultramassive Black Hole) | Milky Way Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Object | Black Hole | Galaxy |
| Nature | Region of spacetime with immense gravity | Vast collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter |
| Size | Defined by Event Horizon (estimated billions of kilometers in diameter) | Estimated diameter of 100,000 light-years (with a much larger dark matter halo) |
| Mass | Estimated billions to tens of billions times the Sun’s mass | Estimated mass of 200 to 400 billion times the Sun’s mass (including dark matter) |
| Light Emission | Does not emit light itself (but can indirectly influence light from surrounding gas) | Emits light from its constituent stars |
| Distance from Earth | Approximately 18.2 billion light-years | We reside within the Milky Way Galaxy |
| Life Cycle Stage | Considered to be a very long-lived object | Galaxies evolve over time, Milky Way is likely in a mature stage |
TON 618 – Largest Black Hole Ever as compared to Alcyoneus Galaxy – Largest Galaxy Ever:
TON 618 Vs. Alcyoneus Galaxy
| Feature | TON 618 (Ultramassive Black Hole) | Alcyoneus Galaxy (Largest Galaxy) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Object | Black Hole | Galaxy |
| Nature | Region of spacetime with immense gravity | Vast collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter |
| Size | Defined by Event Horizon (estimated billions of kilometers in diameter) | 16 million light-years (including radio lobes) |
| Mass | Estimated billions to tens of billions times the Sun’s mass | Not yet confirmed |
| Light Emission | Does not emit light itself (but can indirectly influence light from surrounding gas) | Emits light from its constituent stars |
| Distance from Earth | Approximately 18.2 billion light-years | Approximately 3 billion light-years |
| Life Cycle Stage | Considered to be a very long-lived object | Galaxies evolve over time, but Alcyoneus is likely in a mature stage |
Recent Observations of Ton 618:
TON 618’s nature as a Lyman-alpha emitter has been extensively known since at least the 1980s. Lyman-alpha emitters are distinguished by the strong emission of the Lyman-alpha line, a unique wavelength released by neutral hydrogen (121.567 nm in the vacuum ultraviolet).
ALMA observations in 2021 identified the likely source of TON 618’s Lyman-alpha radiation, a massive cloud of gas around the quasar and its host galaxy. This would classify it as a Lyman-alpha blob (LAB), one of the biggest such objects yet discovered.
LABs are massive gas groupings, sometimes known as nebulae, that release Lyman-alpha light. These massive, galaxy-sized clouds are among the biggest nebulae known to exist, with some detected LABs in the 2000s measuring at least hundreds of thousands of light years wide.
The huge Lyman-alpha nebula that surrounds TON 618 is at least 100 kiloparsecs (330,000 light-years) in diameter, making it twice the size of the Milky Way. The nebula consists of two parts: an inner molecular outflow and an extended cold molecular gas in its circumgalactic medium, each with a mass of 50 billion M☉.
Both are aligned with the radio jet produced by the core quasar. The intense radiation from TON 618 stimulates the hydrogen in the nebula to the point where it glows brilliantly in the Lyman-alpha line, as observed in other LABs powered by their inner galaxies.
Why Ton 618 Matters?
The incredible distance of TON 618 presents a unique opportunity for astronomers. The light we see from TON 618 has been traveling for billions of years, offering a glimpse into the universe as it existed nearly 18.2 billion years ago. By studying TON 618, we are essentially peering back in time, witnessing the universe during its youth, a mere few billion years after the Big Bang.
Conclusion:
This cosmic time capsule allows us to unravel the mysteries of the early universe. TON 618 sheds light on the formation and evolution of galaxies, the behavior of supermassive black holes in their prime, and the conditions that existed during a period when the universe was vastly different from what we observe today.