It's one of the biggest mysteries of the cosmos: What are these little red dots?
nationalgeographic.com
James Webb's "little red dots" are too massive, too early, and too crimson — and no single theory yet explains what they actually are.
Stellar Evolution TheoryBlack Hole AccretionLambda-CDM ModelCosmological Structure Formation
Theory Briefing
- James Webb Space Telescope spotted compact crimson blobs that don't fit neatly into existing models of early galaxy formation.
- One leading idea is that they are supermassive black holes cloaked in dust, making them appear redder and brighter than expected.
- A rival theory proposes they could be "black hole stars" — exotic objects where a black hole powers the entire stellar body.
- Their apparent mass is the core puzzle: they seem too large to have formed so early in the universe's history.