The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has given astronomers another mystery to solve—tiny “little red dots” shining in the early universe. At first, scientists believed these glowing objects were ancient galaxies formed within 700 million years of the Big Bang. But new research suggests they might be something entirely different: black hole stars.

Unlike normal stars, these black hole stars are theorized to be vast spheres of dense, hot gas surrounding an early black hole. This unusual structure could explain how black holes grew to supermassive sizes so quickly, long before the universe even reached one billion years of age.

The discovery challenges traditional ideas of galaxy formation and forces researchers to rethink the timeline of cosmic evolution. Unlike anything seen in today’s 13.8-billion-year-old universe, these objects may represent a rare and short-lived phase in the early cosmos.

Astronomers say if confirmed, black hole stars would not only explain rapid black hole growth but also reshape our understanding of how the universe’s first structures emerged. For now, the “little red dots” remain one of the most puzzling and exciting discoveries made by JWST.