- The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered hundreds of perplexing 'little red dots' in the early universe, appearing around 650 million years after the Big Bang.
- New theories suggest these dots could be black holes shrouded in thick gas, possibly representing a new object called a black hole star, but observations conflict with some predictions.
- JWST has also revealed ancient black holes that are too massive for their age, challenging theories of their formation and growth, including limits on accretion rates.
- Simulations explore mechanisms like super-Eddington accretion or direct collapse of gas clouds to explain rapid black hole growth, but conditions remain elusive.
- Early galaxies observed by JWST are surprisingly bright and diverse, prompting revised models of star formation efficiency, bursts, and massive star populations.
- The diversity in galaxy properties, such as gas content and nitrogen abundance, suggests varied star formation histories and possible bursty cycles.
- The period of reionization, driven by early galaxies and black holes, ended the cosmic dark ages, with the first stars seeding the universe with elements essential for life.
- Researchers are using advanced simulations and JWST data to match observed galaxies with theoretical histories, gradually uncovering the true nature of cosmic dawn.