Mysterious cosmic 'dots' are baffling astronomers. What are they?
3 days ago
- #astronomy
- #JWST
- #black-holes
- JWST discovered 'little red dots' (LRDs) in 2022, initially baffling astronomers due to their compact size and unusual light emission.
- LRDs are now theorized to be a hybrid between a black hole and a star, with a black hole wrapped in dense, glowing gas.
- One key LRD, named 'the Cliff', shows a sharp transition in light emission, supporting the black-hole-star model.
- Astronomers are investigating whether LRDs evolve into galactic centers, with some evidence suggesting they may reside in large dark-matter halos.
- Over 200 manuscripts on LRDs have been posted to arXiv in the past three years, highlighting rapid research interest.