Archive · 16 Sep 2025
JWST Detects 'Little Red Dots': Possibly Black Hole Stars
Imagine the universe as a giant playground, and scientists use telescopes like the JWST to look back in time.
They've spotted some unusual red objects, called "little red dots."
These objects seemed to be galaxies that formed very early, soon after the Big Bang.
This puzzled scientists because they were more developed than expected.
New research suggests these dots aren't galaxies at all.
They might be new objects called "black hole stars."
Instead of stars powered by fusion, they could be dense spheres of hot gas powered by supermassive black holes gobbling up matter.
This idea could help explain how black holes grew so big, so quickly.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected 'little red dots' in the early universe.
These objects are theorized to have existed within 700 million years after the Big Bang.
Researchers suggest the 'little red dots' may be a new class of cosmic object: black hole stars.
Black hole stars are theorized to be powered by supermassive black holes consuming matter.
This new theory could explain the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe.
- Who
- Researchers including Bingjie Wang and Joel Leja.
- What
- Investigated 'little red dots' observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, suggesting they could be black hole stars.
- When
- Study was conducted throughout 2024.
- Where
- Objects observed are approximately 12 billion light-years from Earth.
- Why
- To understand the nature of the 'little red dots' and how supermassive black holes grew so early in the universe.
- Discovery
- Potential new class of cosmic objects: black hole stars
- Telescope
- James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
- Objects Studied
- "Little red dots" in early universe
- Origin of "Dots"
- Estimated to have existed 700 million years after the Big Bang
- Location
- Cliff, 12 billion light-years from Earth
- Researchers Involved
- Bingjie Wang, Joel Leja, and colleagues