CATCH ME UP
Astronomers have identified a potential new class of stellar objects called 'black hole stars' or 'quasi-stars.'
The discovery originated from an investigation into 'little red dots' appearing in deep-space images.
Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze these dense, mysterious red objects.
One specific object, MoM-BH*-1, is located in the constellation Cetus.
More context
This object is approximately 100 billion times brighter than a typical star.
Unlike standard stars, these objects are powered by supermassive black holes rather than nuclear fusion.
The black hole's accretion disk is estimated to be as large as our solar system.
Lead researcher Rohan Naidu suggests these findings may confirm the existence of theoretical objects from the early universe.
The discovery may solve a lingering mystery regarding the nature of dense red dots captured in infrared data.
The study detailing these findings was published in the journal Nature.