Astronomers Identify New 'Black Hole Star' Object in Early Universe

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a previously unknown type of object, dubbed a “black hole star,” that may account for a series of bright red dots seen in the early universe. The object, named MoM-BH*-1, dates to about 660 million years after the Big Bang and is comparable in size to the solar system while emitting roughly 100 billion times more energy than ordinary stars.

The discovery was reported in a study published in Nature. Lead author Rohan Naidu of the University of Hawaii said the finding could resolve a long-standing debate about the nature of the red dots detected by JWST. > "What exactly these objects are has been one of the most debated topics of the JWST era," Naidu said.

Co-author Robert Simcoe of MIT explained that the object's red appearance is not caused by dust, as is often assumed, but by hydrogen gas that absorbs light at specific wavelengths. This observation ruled out dust as the source of the color and indicated an unusually powerful energy source.

Naidu noted that nuclear fusion cannot account for the object's luminosity, leading the team to model a scenario in which a central black hole, encircled by a gas cocoon, produces the observed light. > "Every little red dot is consistent with being a black hole star," he added, describing MoM-BH*-1 as a case where the black hole star outshines its host galaxy, allowing observers to see essentially pure black hole star light.

The finding adds to a series of recent JWST observations that challenge existing models of galaxy formation in the universe’s infancy. Separate research using the same telescope also revealed dust and water near a star close to the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole, underscoring the instrument’s capability to probe extreme environments.