JWST spots a bizarre “black hole star” 100 billion times brighter than a star
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a mysterious, highly luminous object in the early universe. Researchers hypothesize it may be a 'black hole star,' consisting of a massive black hole surrounded by a dense envelope of gas.
Why it matters
This discovery could explain the prevalence of 'little red dots' in early universe imagery and challenge current models of stellar formation.
Astronomers from MIT and other institutions have identified an exceptionally bright red object dating back to the early universe. At first glance, it resembles an enormous star with dimensions comparable to our solar system. Its energy output, however, is extraordinary. The object is producing roughly 100 billion times more energy than any known star could physically generate, putting its power much closer to the levels associated with black holes.
That unusual combination has led researchers to propose that the red object represents an entirely new kind of astrophysical source. They are calling it a "black hole star."
A study published on August 12 in Nature describes the object and the team's analysis of observations made with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The telescope detected the bright red dot in the very early universe, only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.
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