James Webb Telescope red points linked to early black‑hole phase

Scientists analyzing the distant spiral galaxy WISEA J123635.56+621424.2, nicknamed “Saguaro”, used data from the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble and the Chandra X‑ray Observatory to study compact, red‑colored sources known as distant red points (LRDs). Led by Pierluigi Rinaldi, the team found that the LRDs are likely a transient stage of actively accreting supermassive black holes rather than a separate galactic population. The galaxy’s nucleus is unusually bright in ultraviolet and infrared and shows weak X‑ray emission, consistent with an obscured active black‑hole core. Simulations at higher redshifts suggest the surrounding galactic structure fades, leaving only the LRD‑like source visible. The authors note alternative explanations—such as young star clusters or early galaxies—remain possible pending more detailed spectra.

The study proposes that these red points, observed about 3.3 billion years after the Big Bang, may represent an early phase in the growth of supermassive black holes, linking the objects seen by JWST to later, more mature cosmic structures.