Astronomers are debating the true nature of mysterious "little red dots" first detected by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2023. These objects emit red light with long wavelengths and shine as brightly as entire galaxies, which has puzzled scientists since their discovery. Initially thought to be distant galaxies, they later appeared similar to supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. However, in the spring of 2025, two teams of astronomers found two particularly unusual little red dots that did not fit existing models, sparking new theories about their origins. Anna de Graaff of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and Rohan Naidu of the University of Hawai‘i proposed that these dots are "black hole stars"—a new class of objects that combine the characteristics of a black hole with the outward appearance of a star. Their analysis suggests that these objects would consist of large accumulations of hydrogen gas with a black hole at their core, which would power the star-like appearance. The black hole would act as the "engine" of the star, similar to the fusion-powered core of the sun, while the surrounding gas would emit light and energy, preventing the outer layers from collapsing inward. Not all astronomers agree with this interpretation. Some argue that the little red dots are standard supermassive black holes, with the redness of the new objects possibly caused by gas between the black hole and the observer. Roberto Maiolino of the University of Cambridge noted that the data is compelling but remains open to interpretation. He suggested that the lack of flicker and X-rays could be explained by the black holes having a steadier food supply or being surrounded by a thick doughnut of gas and dust that blocks most X-rays. Mitchell Begelman of the University of Colorado, Boulder, recognized the little red dots as resembling "quasi-stars," a concept he proposed in 2006. He and his collaborators applied the quasi-star model to the little red dots, suggesting that they could form in a few million years before evolving into the observed objects. In 2026, Mauro Giavalisco of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, further developed the quasi-star model as a plausible explanation for the little red dots, noting that it fits the spectra of the observed objects better than earlier models. Researchers are also investigating whether the little red dots become rarer over time as they break free from their shells and reveal their inner black holes. An August 2026 census of red and blue dots found that the number of little red dots decreases as the universe approaches 2 billion to 3 billion years of age, suggesting they might be a transient phase for many supermassive black holes. Dale Kocevski of Colby College remains uncertain, suspecting that some little red dots may indeed be starlike while others are standard black holes.