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MoM-BH*-1

Coordinates: Sky map 02h 17m 35.40s, −05° 08′ 06.4″
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MoM-BH*-1
Image of MoM-BH*-1 taken by the JWST.
Object typeLittle red dot
Observation data
(Epoch J2000.0)
ConstellationCetus
02h 17m 35.40s
Declination−05° 08′ 06.42″
Redshift7.7569+0.0013
−0.0012
Distance13.14 billion light years (light travel distance)
[edit on Wikidata]

MoM-BH*-1 is an astronomical object classified as a little red dot, a class of astronomical objects of reddish colouration, located in the constellation of Cetus. In 2026, it was proposed that MoM-BH*-1 is a black hole star (also known as a quasi-star), composed of a central black hole surrounded by a large and dense gas cloud, the first object to be identified as such.[1][2][3]

Discovery

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The object was found during the "Mirage or Miracle" (MoM) survey conducted with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). MoM-BH*-1 was imaged by JWST in three surveys, the first in the PRIMER survey, using the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on 5 and 16 January 2023 and NIRCam on 7 and 9 August 2023, the second by the EXCELS survey on 19 December 2023, and by the MoM survey on 15 December 2024.[1] It was named after the survey, MoM, and an abbreviation of "black hole star – one".[4]

Black hole star candidate

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In 2026, a research team led by Rohan P. Naidu, a University of Hawaiʻi[a] astronomer, identified MoM-BH*-1 as an "enshrouded black hole" of around 106.3 M☉.[1] The similarity of the object with other little red dots suggests that they may be black hole stars as well.[3][5]

Location

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Location of MoM-BH*-1 (circled) within the constellation Cetus
Location of MoM-BH*-1 (circled) within the constellation Cetus

The object, at billions of light years from Earth, is thought to have formed 660 million years after the Big Bang.[3] Its host galaxy is a low-mass dwarf galaxy, "perhaps" metal-poor, with a mass of less than 108.5 M☉. According to Naidu et al. (2026), "[r]adiation from the black hole seems to dominate almost all observed light, leaving limited room for contribution from its host galaxy."[1] Naidu described the discovery as "one in a billion!"[6]

Notes

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  1. ↑ The research on MoM-BH*-1 was conducted while Naidu was at the MIT Kavli Institute, but he is now at the University of Hawaiʻi.[3]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Naidu, Rohan P.; et al. (12 August 2026). "A gas-enshrouded and gas-reddened black hole at cosmic dawn". Nature. 656 (8127). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 329–333. Bibcode:2026Natur.656..329N. doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10846-4. ISSN 0028-0836. PMC 13468124. PMID 42587117.
  2. ↑ Paul, Andrew (12 August 2026). "Astronomers discover the existence of a 'black hole star'". Popular Science. Archived from the original on 12 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sample, Ian (12 August 2026). "Astronomers discover a new kind of cosmic object – a black hole 'star'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Chu, Jennifer (12 August 2026). "Astronomers discover a brand-new type of astrophysical object: A black hole star". MIT News. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Hindy, Joe (14 August 2026). "Black Hole Stars Are Apparently Real and Help Explain a Long-Standing Mystery". CNET. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Lee, Gayoung (12 August 2026). "Astronomers Discover a Brand-New Type of Object: Part Black Hole, Part Star". Gizmodo. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
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