Pōniuāʻena

Pōniuāʻena (/ˌpoʊniuːɑːˈɛnə/), also named J100758.264+211529.207 or J1007+2115, is the third most-distant quasar known, with a measured redshift of z = 7.515 or a lookback time of 13.02 billion years.[2] Its 1.5 billion–solar mass black hole is the most distant known black hole with a mass of over one billion solar masses, and models indicate that it must have formed not later than 100 million years after the Big Bang, before reionization.[3] Its discovery was announced in June 2020.[4] Only the quasars ULAS J1342+0928 (z = 7.54) and J0313–1806 (z = 7.64) are known to be more distant.[3][5]

Pōniuāʻena J1007+2115
A depiction of Pōniuāʻena created by NOIRLab
Observation data (Epoch J2000.0)
Constellation	Leo
Right ascension	10h 07m 58.264s
Declination	+21° 15′ 29.207″
Redshift	7.52[1]
Distance	13.02×109 light-years (3.99×109 parsecs)
Other designations
J100758.264+211529.207
See also: Quasar, List of quasars

The quasar was primarily observed at the Mauna Kea Observatories on the island of Hawaiʻi; it was first discovered at the Gemini Observatory and was further identified using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory, UKIRT, Magellan Telescopes, and ALMA.[6] Hawaiian language experts at ʻImiloa Astronomy Center gave it the name Pōniuāʻena [ˌpoːnijuwaːˈʔɛnə], which "evokes the unseen spinning source of creation, surrounded by brilliance."[7]