A new \u201cX-ray dot\u201d found by NASA\u2019s Chandra X-ray Observatory \u2013 which could look like this artist\u2019s illustration released on April 28, 2026 \u2013 could explain what the hundreds or potentially thousands of these objects are.<\/p>\n
Shortly after NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope started its science observations, reports of a new class of mysterious objects emerged. Astronomers found small, red objects about 12 billion light-years from Earth or farther, which became known as \u201clittle red dots\u201d (LRDs). The dot that Chandra found exhibits most of the features of an LRD, including being small, red, and located at a vast distance, but it glows in X-ray light, unlike other LRDs \u2013 hence the name \u201cX-ray dot.\u201d<\/p>\n
This object (officially known as 3DHST-AEGIS-12014), which is located about 11.8 billion light-years from Earth, may provide a crucial bridge between black hole stars and typical growing supermassive black holes.<\/p>\n