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James Webb Telescope identifies rare ‘black hole star’ in early universe
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified a rare cosmic object known as a ‘black hole star,’ designated MoM-BH-1. This discovery, led by a team including Rohan Naidu from the MIT Kavli Institute, provides a potential explanation for the mysterious ‘Little Red Dots’ observed in the early universe.
Unlike standard stars that generate energy through nuclear fusion, a black hole star consists of a central black hole surrounded by a massive hydrogen cloud, potentially as large as our solar system. The energy emitted comes from the black hole consuming surrounding matter, creating intense light that mimics a massive star from a distance. The object dates back to a period when the universe was approximately 660 million years old.
Additionally, observations near the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*, have revealed the presence of water molecules and new cosmic dust on the star IRS 3. Despite the intense radiation in the region, dense clouds of gas and dust appear to be shielding these molecules, suggesting a more complex environment in the galactic center than previously understood.
Entities
James Webb Space Telescope · MIT · MIT Kavli Institute · Massachusetts Institute of Technology · MoM-BH*-1 · MoM-BH*-1 · MoM-BH-1 · NASA · Nature · Rohan Naidu · University of Hawai’i