Hypothesized model of MoM-BH*-1 Jose-Luis Olivares/MIT
James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Bizarre "Black Hole Star"
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have provided evidence for the existence of an extremely unique object in space known as a "black hole star" named MoM-BH*-1. This remarkable discovery was made public in the journal Nature; the research shows a supermassive black hole, shining 100 billion times brighter than a regular star, enveloped in a cloud of dense gas.
Led by MIT scientists, the team studied light from the time when the universe was around 660 million years old. Initially, the object looked like an enormous star; however, such a high level of brightness cannot be achieved through nuclear fusion.
“It actually sounds pretty cool to think about something like that existing so far back in space," said EBHS Junior Maya Toma.
It is reported that using JWST spectra, scientists have found that there is a black hole weighing about 100,000 times the mass of the Sun and accreting matter in a dense and stellar envelope of hydrogen gas. Instead of nuclear fusion, the object gains energy from the black hole heating up gas in the shell.
Scientists say that this finding can provide an explanation for one of the mysteries known as "little red dots"—very bright and red points visible in deep field pictures.
"Honestly, it’s pretty wild that scientists used to be confused by these 'little red dots' in space pictures and now we have an actual explanation for them," noted EBHS Junior Tristan Costello.
Scientists are continuing to study MoM-BH*-1 to learn more about how it formed and how it grew so quickly in the early universe. This discovery could help explain how supermassive black holes developed and provide new information about the mysterious “little red dots” observed by the James Webb Space Telescope.
