'1.5 billion light-years away': NASA's James Webb Telescope discovers mysterious black holes in deep space

Produced by Tarun Mishra

Unusual Red Dots

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has identified mysterious "little red dots" (LRDs) in the distant universe. These objects, detected during Webb's early observations, date back to the first 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.

Black Holes Investigated

Astronomers found that most of these LRDs could be galaxies hosting growing black holes. Around 70% of the objects exhibited signs of an accreting black hole, suggesting many are active galactic nuclei (AGN) pulling in surrounding gas.

600 Million Years

The study revealed that LRDs were most common around 600 million years post-Big Bang, with their numbers significantly declining by 1.5 billion years. This timeline offers insights into the evolution of black holes and galaxies in the early universe.

Extensive Survey

Using data from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey, astronomers compiled one of the largest LRD collections. The study also utilised data from other extragalactic surveys, including the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) and the Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public (NGDEEP) survey.

Earlier Assumptions

Earlier theories suggested these objects might be star-rich galaxies. However, the study indicates that LRDs' light primarily comes from growing black holes, challenging previous cosmological models of early universe growth.

Insights

The findings shed light on how black holes and galaxies evolved shortly after the Big Bang. Researchers believe these observations could refine understanding of black hole accretion and galactic development during the universe’s formative years.

Future Research

While questions remain, scientists are optimistic about using LRDs to probe black hole and galaxy formation. The findings, presented at the 245th American Astronomical Society meeting, will be published in The Astrophysical Journal.