Webb Space Telescope spots ancient black hole in hydrogen cocoon
Technology
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted an unusual black hole wrapped in dense hydrogen gas, and it may help explain what at least some of these red dots actually are.
The light from this black hole started its journey just 660 million years after the Big Bang, so what we're seeing is more than 13 billion years old.
Nature study links redness to gas
This new find, published in Nature, challenges old ideas that LRDs look red because of dust. Turns out, their color likely comes from thick gas swirling around young black holes.
The wild part? This gas cocoon might actually help these black holes grow super fast.
Scientists are excited but admit there's still a lot to learn about how these ancient giants formed.