NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovers X-ray dot that may explain early universe's little red dots
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · Apr 28
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovers X-ray dot that may explain early universe's little red dots
13 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · Apr 28
The newly identified object, 3DHST-AEGIS-12014, lies 11.8 billion light-years from Earth and was revealed by combining Chandra and Webb telescope data.
This X-ray dot exhibits most features of little red dots but uniquely emits X-rays, suggesting it may represent a transitional phase between black hole stars and typical supermassive black holes.
The discovery could clarify the nature of hundreds or thousands of little red dots, supporting theories about their connection to rapidly growing supermassive black holes and prompting further observations to confirm these findings.
How many other 'black hole stars' are hiding in plain sight in Webb's deep field images?
If this 'X-ray dot' is a fossil, what other cosmic missing links will Webb and Chandra find?
Could this discovery rewrite the story of how galaxies and black holes grew up together?
Is this a black hole shedding its cocoon, or a completely new kind of cosmic object?
Will this single dot solve the mystery, or does a stranger explanation await?