Two astronomy teams using the James Webb Space Telescope reported in spring 2025 that they observed a pair of 'little red dots' unlike any previously seen objects, including other little red dots found since 2023. Researchers led by Anna de Graaff at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy propose these are a new kind of object: a vast, puffed-up cloud of hydrogen gas that shines as brightly as billions of suns while concealing a supermassive black hole at its center, which they call a 'black hole star.'
wired.com
· 2026-10-24
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a widespread class of compact, reddish objects dating to the universe's first billion years, dubbed 'little red dots.' Researchers say these objects have puzzled the field since their discovery, and new analysis is now offering possible explanations for what they are.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-25
Researchers have built a biodegradable battery using magnesium and molybdenum trioxide electrodes with an edible ionic-liquid electrolyte, designed to power ingestible medical devices. The battery, described in Nature Chemical Engineering, has been tested successfully in pigs and breaks down into absorbable materials after use.
nature.com
· 2026-09-22
A new Nature study led by Max Planck Institute astrophysicist Sunmyon Chon simulated conditions in the early universe and found that rapidly forming black holes can generate light signatures matching the mysterious 'little red dots' seen by the James Webb Space Telescope. The team argues these objects quickly develop dense, thick gas disks that produce a strong hydrogen-alpha glow resembling what's observed in these ancient regions of space.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-20
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope had largely concluded that mysterious compact objects called 'little red dots' were supermassive black holes obscured by dust. But two newly analyzed dots studied by teams led by de Graaff and Naidu show a distinctive Balmer break—a spectral signature usually associated with hot stellar surfaces—that standard black hole models don't produce, complicating the picture.
quantamagazine.org
· 2026-09-18
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