Astronomers from Peking University in China and the University of Arizona have discovered the most luminous quasar known at a redshift of greater than 6. The ultra-luminous quasar has a black hole that clocks in with a mass of about 12 billion times the mass of the Sun. This incredible object was discovered and characterized in part with the Red Channel Spectrograph at the MMT. Its existence is a challenge for current theories of black hole formation and growth and may support claims that supermassive black holes grew much more quickly in the early universe in comparison to their host galaxies. Read more here.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Feb. 23, 25, & 27, the road will be open with slight delays while work continues between km 8.5 - km 9.5. Coordinating via radio 1 hour in advance will facilitate crossings. On Tuesday and Thursday, Feb. 24 & 26, the road will be closed from 8:30am to 4:00pm with no noon openings while culvert work is done in the same area. Call 520-879-4422 for recorded updates.