Astronomers Discover a Brand-New Type of Object: Part Black Hole, Part Star

Key Points:

• Astronomers have discovered a new type of cosmic object from the early universe, named MoM-BH*-1, described as a "black hole star" that radiates about 100 billion times more energy than any known star and resembles both a black hole and a star.
• MoM-BH*-1 is enveloped in dense gas, causing it to emit light similarly to stellar phenomena, and it outshines its entire host galaxy, providing a "pure" example of black hole star light.
• This discovery sheds light on the mysterious "little red dots" observed in the early universe, suggesting these objects are black hole stars embedded within larger galaxies, and challenges previous assumptions that their red color is due to dust rather than ionized gas.
• Understanding black hole stars like MoM-BH*-1 could explain the existence of supermassive black holes in the early universe, which are larger than predicted by conventional models, and offers new insights into cosmic dawn phenomena.
• The research team plans further observations using the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate the detailed physics, mass, and stellar features of black hole stars, potentially rewriting astrophysical textbooks about the early universe.