In November 2024, astronomers identified LID-568 as a black hole dating back to 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, initially suggesting it was consuming matter at an unrealistic rate for its early formation period.

The revised analysis utilized infrared light, which is less affected by dust, revealing that LID-568's mass is approximately one billion solar masses, 40 times greater than previous estimates.

With this updated mass, astronomers have determined that LID-568 is behaving normally, rather than feeding at 40 times the theoretical limit as previously thought.

These findings imply that the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe cannot solely be attributed to accretion rates exceeding theoretical limits.

However, dust absorption and scattering significantly dimmed the light from LID-568, leading to miscalculations of its mass and feeding rate.

New research published on April 4, 2025, in The Astrophysical Journal indicates that earlier estimations were incorrect due to heavy dust obscuring the black hole's emissions.

The black hole's luminosity now aligns with the Eddington limit, confirming it is not in a super-Eddington accretion phase as earlier suggested.

This study highlights the importance of correcting for dust extinction in black hole mass measurements, a practice that has not been thoroughly applied to active galactic nuclei (AGN) previously.

The revised understanding of LID-568's feeding habits may influence interpretations of other black holes and their properties, particularly in dust-obscured environments.