The universe's first 'miracles' might actually be cosmic mirages

Space · Published 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Deep space images from the James Webb Space Telescope have been haunted by mysterious "little red dots." These objects appear everywhere in the early universe but vanish today. Scientists now suspect they aren't just distant galaxies, but a bizarre new class of astrophysical object: black hole stars.

To locate initial galaxies emerging mere hundreds of millions of years post-Big Bang, researchers utilised the JWST during the "Mirage or Miracle" (MoM) study. They encountered incredibly bright red dots that defied standard classification. While many astronomical objects appear red due to dust—similar to how smoke tints the sky—these dots exhibited unique signatures, including a "Balmer break." This spectral drop-off suggests dense gas soaking up photons in atmospheres only a few hundred million years old.

The leading theory identifies these as "black hole stars." Unlike ordinary stars powered by nuclear fusion, these objects are thought to consist of a central black hole—estimated at 100,000 times the mass of our Sun—wrapped inside an enormous cocoon of ionized gas. This envelope is roughly the size of our solar system. Generating approximately 100 billion times more power than any known star is possible, these entities derive their fuel from black hole energy instead of fusion.

This finding offers a possible answer regarding why such objects are common in the early universe yet vanish today, a major JWST era controversy. By identifying them as gas-shrouded black holes radiating like stars, researchers can better understand the rapid growth of massive structures during the universe's first 1.5 billion years.

The study was led by Rohan Naidu and a team from MIT and other institutions, with findings published in Nature on August 12.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Are 'Little Red Dots' actually stars? JWST reveals a cosmic mirage.
• A cosmic mirage or a miracle? The mystery of the black hole star
• A cosmic mirage or a brand-new kind of star?
• Cosmic anomalies are shattering our current understanding of the early Universe
• Mysterious Little Red Dots may be the missing link in early black hole growth
• Astronomers are using light echoes to map the chaotic environments surrounding distant black holes.
• The cosmic eraser: why black holes might destroy our reality
• Astronomers have identified a rare pair of supermassive black holes in close orbit.
• Can supermassive black holes actually stop a galaxy from growing?
• The cosmic tipping point where gravity conquers light
• Are black holes actually simple objects defined by only three physical properties?
• Beyond the Headlines: Deciphering the Reality of Black Holes

More in Black holes · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics