James Webb telescope detects possible black-hole-star objects in early universe
Astronomers analyzing James Webb Space Telescope data have identified a red, luminous source that may be a black hole surrounded by a dense hydrogen envelope, a finding that could reshape theories of early black-hole formation.
Within weeks of beginning science operations in 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope revealed numerous tiny, intensely red points in deep-field images. The objects, initially dubbed “little red dots,” did not fit existing models of young galaxies or active supermassive black holes, prompting further investigation.
A team led by Rohan Naidu, now at the University of Hawaiʻi, examined one particularly bright and red source and published their results in Nature in August. Their analysis suggests the object contains a black hole about 100,000 solar masses, enveloped by a vast hydrogen cloud that radiates like a single, oversized star roughly the size of the solar system. The authors propose that the black hole’s accretion mimics nuclear fusion, producing luminosity roughly 100 billion times that of the brightest known star. The source, designated MoM-BH*-1, emitted its light when the universe was about 660 million years old.
Co-author Robert Simcoe noted that the object's red color is not caused by dust, as the spectrum shows a sharp Balmer break and lacks heavy elements typically associated with dust formation. > “The deepest break we have ever observed in any object,” Naidu said, emphasizing the extreme nature of the spectral feature.
Similar red objects have been reported by other groups. In September 2025, Anna de Graaff’s team described a source nicknamed “The Cliff,” which also resisted conventional dusty-galaxy or dust-shrouded black-hole models. A January Nature study argued that broadened emission lines in such spectra arise from electron scattering, implying lower black-hole masses than previously estimated. In June, Vasily Kokorev’s group obtained a high-resolution spectrum of another red dot, GLIMPSE-17775, revealing over 40 spectral lines consistent with a black hole embedded in a hot, dense cocoon.
While the black-hole-star model remains unconfirmed, researchers acknowledge that the formation and stability of a gas envelope around an actively accreting black hole are unresolved questions. Ongoing and planned James Webb observations aim to test these hypotheses and assess the potential role of such objects in regulating early galaxy formation.