Webb Observations Reveal Quasar Pair in the Early Universe

Researchers led by Silvia Onorato of NOIRLab identified the quasar pair J1602+4228AB while examining James Webb Space Telescope Aether survey data. The team used JWST’s NIRSpec Integral Field Unit observations, with Gemini North observations helping resolve the pair.

Key details

• The pair is nicknamed Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua.
• The black holes have reported masses of 1.5 billion and 400 million solar masses; the available information does not assign those figures to the A and B labels.
• The pair lies 18,100 light-years apart.
• The team’s results appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on November 10, 2026.
• The research team describes the pair as the third identified from the Cosmic Dawn era.

The two black holes sit 18,100 light-years apart.

Why it matters

The observations offer researchers a view of two black-hole-powered quasars during the early universe. JWST data and Gemini North observations contributed complementary views that helped researchers identify and resolve the pair.