Summary in Seconds: The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered objects in space that are speculated to be “dark stars,” which would get their energy from dark matter instead of nuclear fusion. If confirmed, these stars could be larger and brighter than ordinary stars. These objects were observed during the “Deep Field Survey of the Outer Universe,” and scientists need more time to confirm this discovery.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may have just discovered something huge: the first-ever “dark stars.” These stars could be powered by dark matter, an invisible substance that makes up about 85% of the universe’s total mass. This discovery could change everything we know about how the first stars in the universe formed.
Astronomers believe these stars, called “dark stars,” do not get their energy from nuclear fusion like normal stars (including our Sun). Instead, they might get their energy from dark matter, which does not interact with light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. JWST scientists spotted possible dark stars while studying a region in space called the James Webb Space Telescope Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES).
While researchers have not yet confirmed that these objects are dark stars, the signs are promising. If these dark stars exist, they could be much more massive and brighter than the stars we see today. They might shine a billion times brighter than the Sun and grow to a size a million times its mass.
Dark stars have never been directly observed before, but computer models suggest they could have formed very soon after the Big Bang. They might have appeared when clouds of hydrogen and helium collapsed in the centers of protogalaxies filled with dark matter. In July 2023, a team of researchers reported that three objects observed by JWST, which were originally thought to be distant galaxies, could actually be dark stars.
Astronomer Katherine Freese, who co-authored the study, said, “Finding a new type of star is a huge deal.” However, the scientists cannot yet prove that these objects are dark stars—they just think their characteristics match what we would expect from dark stars or galaxies with regular stars. But, according to another co-author, Cosmin Ilie, the technology of the JWST is capable of confirming these findings. The team just needs more time to observe. “We hope to find one of these dark stars while Webb is still in operation,” he said.
There are two main ideas about how the first stars formed in the universe. The most popular theory is that these early stars were “Population III” stars, which were fueled by nuclear fusion, similar to stars today. However, these stars would have been made mostly of hydrogen and helium, with very few heavier elements (metals) since those had not formed yet in the universe.
JWST initially identified three objects (JADES-GS-z13-0, JADES-GS-z12-0, and JADES-GS-z11-0) as distant galaxies in December 2022. However, one team of researchers now suggests that these objects might actually be dark stars, powered by dark matter particles. This idea is not entirely new—back in 2008, Freese and some colleagues proposed that the first stars might have been powered by dark matter. Dark matter is mysterious because it does not interact with light, and scientists know it exists only because of its gravitational effects.
Sources
1. Mohon, Lee. “Astronomers Find Fast-feeding Black Hole Using NASA Telescopes,” NASA.gov, 13 November, 2025.
https://www.nasa.gov/universe/astronomers-find-early-fast-feeding-black-hole-using-nasa-telescope
2. The Nasa James Webb Space Telescope. “Webb Space Telescope, Image Gallary.” January, 2025.
https://webbtelescope.org/home
3. Pappas, Stephanie and Bryner, Jeanna. “JWST Might Have Spotted the First Dark Matter Stars,” Scientific American, 20 July, 2023
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/jwst-might-have-spotted-the-first-dark-matter-stars
4. Smethurst, Becky. “Has JWST Found Evidence For The First Stars To Ever Form In The Universe,” YouTube, 4 April, 2024.