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Cosmic Puzzle Solved: Webb's Red Dots Were Disguised Black Holes
18 Jan
Summary
- Webb Telescope discovered 'little red dots' in the early universe.
- New research suggests these dots are young black holes hidden by gas.
- This explanation resolves a long-standing astronomical puzzle.
The James Webb Space Telescope has potentially solved a cosmic mystery surrounding enigmatic 'little red dots' first detected several years ago. These objects, observed when the universe was only several hundred million years old, defied initial explanations.
Scientists theorized they could be dense galaxies or supermassive black holes, but they lacked expected characteristics. New research published in Nature proposes that the 'little red dots' are indeed young black holes, actively consuming surrounding gas which creates a heat signature, giving them their distinct red color.
This groundbreaking explanation, stemming from over two years of study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, suggests these black holes possess a near-perfect disguise, obscuring typical X-ray and radio emissions. The findings reconcile the 'little red dots' with established cosmological theories, explaining their appearance in the early universe and subsequent disappearance.
