James Webb Telescope discovers new ‘black hole star’ in early universe

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified a previously unknown type of cosmic object, dubbed a ‘black hole star,’ in the early universe. The object, designated MoM-BH-1, was observed as it existed approximately 660 million years after the Big Bang.

Research published in the journal Nature suggests the object is a hybrid consisting of a central black hole, estimated to be 100,000 times more massive than the Sun, surrounded by an extremely dense cocoon of hydrogen and helium gas. This configuration allows the object to emit roughly 100 billion times more energy than a standard star, as the energy is generated by the black hole consuming surrounding matter rather than through conventional nuclear fusion.

The discovery, led by Rohan Naidu of MIT and the University of Hawai'i, may provide a solution to the mystery of ‘little red dots’—compact, intensely red light sources frequently seen in JWST images of the deep universe. The scale of MoM-BH-1 is comparable to our entire solar system, and its unique spectral properties, including a dramatic Balmer break, distinguish it from ordinary stars or galaxies.