Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted peculiar “little red dots” that defy expectations. These fiery spheres—possibly powered by voracious black holes—could hold the key to unraveling how supermassive black holes in present-day galaxies came to be.

Researchers at the University of Missouri have spotted at least 300 unusually bright objects in the far reaches of space that may be forming stars earlier than expected. Their findings suggest these distant structures could challenge existing galaxy formation theories.