Alien object bigger than Solar System discovered by James Webb may be entirely new type of cosmic body

Scientists have identified a strange object in the early universe that appears unlike any known star, galaxy or black hole. Observed by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the newly discovered structure is believed to be larger than the Solar System and emits light equivalent to nearly 100 billion Suns.

The discovery has prompted researchers to propose a completely new category of astronomical object known as a "black hole star." The findings have been published in the journal Nature.

What is the newly discovered black hole star?

The mysterious object was spotted during a James Webb Space Telescope survey aimed at studying some of the earliest galaxies formed after the Big Bang.

Initially appearing as a bright red point of light, the object puzzled astronomers because it was far too luminous to be a normal star while also failing to match the characteristics of a known galaxy or black hole.

Researchers have named the object MoM-BH-1.

According to the study, the object likely consists of a massive black hole at its centre surrounded by an enormous envelope of hydrogen gas, creating a star-like appearance that stretches across a region larger than the Solar System.

Powered by a black hole instead of nuclear fusion

Unlike ordinary stars that produce energy through nuclear fusion, scientists believe MoM-BH-1 generates its immense brightness through material continuously falling into its central black hole.

The research estimates that the black hole at its core is approximately 100,000 times more massive than the Sun.

Astronomers also found that the object is composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, the first elements formed after the Big Bang, with almost no heavier elements present.

Its unusual spectral signature, including an exceptionally deep Balmer break, could not be explained using existing models of stars or galaxies.

Simulations support a new class of cosmic object

Researchers used advanced computer simulations to understand the mysterious object's properties.

The models suggested that only a scenario involving a massive black hole embedded within a gigantic hydrogen envelope could reproduce both its extraordinary brightness and unique spectral characteristics.

These findings have strengthened the hypothesis that black hole stars may represent an entirely new class of astrophysical objects that existed in the universe's earliest stages.

Discovery may explain JWST's 'little red dots'

The discovery could also help solve one of the biggest puzzles uncovered by the James Webb Space Telescope—the origin of the numerous "little red dots" observed throughout the early universe.

Scientists now suspect that many of these unexplained objects may actually be black hole stars at different stages of their evolution.

If future observations confirm the discovery, MoM-BH-1 would become the first confirmed black hole star, offering new insights into how the earliest black holes and galaxies formed only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.