An international research team has announced the identification of what they characterize as a previously unknown category of astronomical object, which researchers are calling a black hole “star.” The object, designated MoM-BH*-1, was detected through analysis of imagery obtained by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and is located within the constellation Cetus at a distance of billions of light years from Earth. According to astronomical dating methods, the object formed 660 million years after the Big Bang.
The cosmic body possesses dimensions comparable to the solar system and displays distinctive red coloration. Measurements and analysis indicate that despite resembling an enormous star in appearance, it releases approximately 100 billion times more energy than any known star, with energy output levels comparable to those associated with black holes. Dr. Rohan Naidu of the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at MIT, who is now affiliated with the University of Hawaii, led the investigation and characterized the finding as representing a new class of astrophysical object.
The research team initially focused on the object while searching for distant galaxies using the telescope. Computer simulations suggested that rather than a massive fusion-powered star, the object is a black hole densely surrounded by gas clouds that causes it to emit radiation characteristic of stellar objects. The dramatic red coloration and the abrupt disappearance of light below certain wavelengths distinguish it from any previously catalogued astronomical object categories.
The scientists propose that numerous other unidentified bright red objects, commonly referred to as Little Red Dots or LRDs, visible in deep space images from the James Webb telescope may also be black hole stars. Researchers suggest these objects could play a significant role in galactic evolution and may represent early-stage versions of the supermassive black holes found at the centers of most galaxies, including the Milky Way. According to this interpretation, such objects could fundamentally influence the formation of stars, planets, and ultimately the conditions supporting life.
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