Astronomers clash over the nature of James Webb's 'little red dots'

Spectra of two unusual James Webb 'little red dots' revealed signs of hydrogen stars hiding a black hole at their core, dubbed 'black hole stars.' Some astronomers argue Webb is witnessing supermassive black hole births inside colossal stars, while others reject the interpretation.

• Two 2025 dots showed a Balmer break, a signature of hot hydrogen rather than a bare black hole
• Hypothesis: a hydrogen envelope shines like billions of suns while hiding a black hole core
• The dots were earlier called 'universe breakers' — galaxies too bright for the early cosmos
• The debate has polarized astronomers, with some calling it a fundamentally new phenomenon