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Bizarre & wonderful · Earlier selection

A supercomputer offers an explanation for Webb’s little red dots

Source dated 17 Sept 2026 · Brief by 20 Today
Selected 20 Sept 2026, 01:42 BST · 24-hour selection ended 21 Sept 2026, 01:42 BST

Simulations suggest some of the tiny red objects seen in the early universe could be black holes growing inside dense clouds of gas.

Conceptual spiral galaxy with an unusually tilted central glow

Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory reported the modelling on 17 September. In the simulations, nearby radiation suppresses ordinary star formation and helps massive black-hole seeds develop. Their predicted properties resemble the observed dots, but a successful model is not proof that every object has that origin.

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National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ↗ (opens a new tab)

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AI-assisted original summary, checked against the linked source on 20 Sept 2026, 01:29 BST. Illustration is AI generated and does not document the event.

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