Story perspectives

JWST Identifies Distant Black-Hole Star at Redshift 3.5

6/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

JWST captured the spectrum of GLIMPSE-17775 and identified it as a black-hole star.
Its redshift of 3.5 places it about 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang.
A 30-hour lens-magnified observation yielded data equivalent to ~80 hours and showed 40 lines, including 16 iron lines and hydrogen, oxygen and helium features.
Electron-scattering broadening and helium fluorescence reveal a gas cocoon in the study published by Vasily Kokorev et al. in The Astrophysical Journal on 2026-06-10.

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Story summary

JWST captured the spectrum of GLIMPSE-17775 and identified it as a black-hole star.
Its redshift of 3.5 places it about 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang.
A 30-hour lens-magnified observation yielded data equivalent to ~80 hours and showed 40 lines, including 16 iron lines and hydrogen, oxygen and helium features.
Electron-scattering broadening and helium fluorescence reveal a gas cocoon in the study published by Vasily Kokorev et al. in The Astrophysical Journal on 2026-06-10.