Astronomers Discover 'Black Hole Stars' in Early Universe Using JWST

A team of astronomers, led by Rohan Naidu of the University of Hawaii, has proposed that mysterious objects known as 'little red dots' observed by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be a new type of celestial object: black hole stars. The study, published in Nature on August 12, focuses on an exceptionally bright little red dot named MoM-BH*-1, which appears to be a black hole 100,000 times the mass of the Sun, surrounded by a dense hydrogen gas cocoon that glows like a star. The object was observed 660 million years after the Big Bang, with its light taking billions of years to reach JWST. The researchers identified a strong Balmer break, indicating dense gas absorbing light in a dust-free environment, and its brightness exceeded what nuclear fusion could produce. Computer simulations suggested the black hole star scenario. The object was part of the Mirage or Miracle (MoM) survey, which aimed to find early galaxies. As of 2025, JWST has spotted 341 little red dots, and the team suggests each may be a black hole star embedded in an early galaxy, with MoM-BH*-1 outshining its host galaxy. The discovery provides clues about the nature of little red dots, according to commentary by Dominik Schleicher of Sapienza University of Rome and Rodrigo Herrera-Camus of the University of Concepción.