Black Hole Butterflies: Webb Telescope Finds Early Universe Cocoons

by Dr Natalie Singh - Health Editor
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Okay, here’s a revised version of the text, incorporating verification and corrections based on web searches. I’ve focused on ensuring accuracy of names, details about the research, and the overall context.

In the early universe, the James webb space Telescope (JWST) has detected a population of mysterious objects dubbed “little red dots.” These objects initially puzzled astronomers due to their unexpectedly small size and reddish color. Now, a new study suggests these aren’t distant galaxies as previously suspected, but rather young, growing supermassive black holes hidden within dense clouds of gas.

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A composite image of various “little red dots” spotted by JWST in it’s surveys of the deep universe. (Image credit: Oak Watson/JWST)

in the new study, published in *The Astrophysical Journal Letters* in February 2024, the researchers analyzed the light emitted from these objects to understand their nature. The team studied spectra from 30 little red dots, each one collected by JWST’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instruments.

The light emitted from the little red dots closely matches the light that the team predicted would be emitted from a supermassive black hole surrounded by a dense cloud of gas. This gaseous cocoon could have trapped X-ray and radio emissions from the growing black holes, blocking them from reaching JWST, and explaining why they appear redder and

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