This gas needs an enormous amount of energy to shine — more than normal stars can supply. The discovery, based on data from NASA 's James Webb Space Telescope, likely means the barred spiral galaxy, sometimes called Messier 83 or M83, has been harboring an active, supermassive black hole in secret.

The latest discovery marks the first-ever "compelling clue" that a black hole may be present in the enigmatic galaxy, scientists say.

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to revisit a misunderstood black hole thought to be gulping matter 40 times faster than the theoretical limit. It turns out, dust may have obscured the truth.