James Webb Telescope Discovers Black Hole Stars

Published on January 06, 2026 | Translated from Spanish
Artistic illustration of a bright red dot in deep space, representing a black hole star with a dark core surrounded by an intensely bright sphere of gas.

The James Webb Telescope Discovers Black Hole Stars

The James Webb Space Telescope has identified a series of mysterious red dots in the most distant regions of the cosmos. These objects, which do not resemble conventional galaxies, have led scientists to propose a revolutionary hypothesis: they could be the first black hole stars ever observed. 🕳️✨

A Discovery That Redefines the Early Cosmos

Astronomers are analyzing these compact and luminous objects that appear in the young universe. Their nature challenges current explanations of how the first structures formed after the Big Bang. The proposal that they are black hole stars implies a review of models about the early evolution of the cosmos.

Key characteristics of the detected objects:
  • Appearance as small red dots, not as extended galaxies.
  • Extreme luminosity suggesting a unique energy process.
  • Such great distance that their light has been considerably stretched toward the red.
Astronomers do not see baby galaxies, but teenage black holes wrapped in a bubble of bright gas.

What is a Black Hole Star?

A black hole star is a theoretical concept. It consists of a supermassive black hole at the center of an immense sphere of gas. This gas, trapped by gravity but sustained by radiation pressure, shines with enormous power, creating the illusion of a compact point of light.

Mechanism explaining its formation:
  • A supermassive black hole attracts material around it.
  • A dense and hot gas sphere forms around it.
  • The radiation generated pushes the gas outward, preventing it from forming a typical accretion disk.

Explaining the James Webb's View

This theoretical structure clarifies why the James Webb perceives these objects as compact red dots. The gas surrounding the black hole is so hot that it emits intense light. The expansion of the universe stretches this light to longer wavelengths, reddening it. Their apparently tiny size confirms that they are intrinsically compact entities, not developing galaxies. This discovery opens a new window to understand the first cosmic objects. 🔭🔴