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arxiv: 2512.02117 · v2 · pith:EIPVRXREnew · submitted 2025-12-01 · 🌌 astro-ph.GA

VENUS: When Red meets Blue -- A multiply imaged Little Red Dot with an apparent blue companion behind the galaxy cluster Abell 383

classification 🌌 astro-ph.GA
keywords mathrmbluegalaxycompaniona383-lrd1lensingmagnificationobservations
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We report the discovery of a doubly-imaged Little Red Dot (LRD) candidate behind the galaxy cluster Abell 383, which we dub A383-LRD1. Initially classified as a dropout galaxy in HST imaging with several ground-based emission line detections placing it at $z_{\mathrm{spec}}=6.027$, new JWST/NIRCam observations taken as part of the cycle 4 VENUS survey now reveal that the source consists of two underlying components: A red point-source with a V-shaped SED consistent with LRD selection criteria, and a nearby ($\sim 380$ pc) compact blue companion which was the main contributor to the previous rest-frame UV detections. Based on lensing symmetry and its SED, the LRD appears to lie at a similar redshift as well. The magnification of the two images of A383-LRD1 is $\mu_{\mathrm{A}}=16.2\pm1.2$ and $\mu_\mathrm{B}=9.0\pm0.6$, respectively, and the predicted time delay between them is $\Delta t_{\mathrm{grav}}=5.20\pm0.14$ yr ($\sim0.7$ yr in the rest-frame). After correcting for the lensing magnification, we derive an absolute magnitude of $M_{\mathrm{UV,LRD}}=-16.8\pm 0.3$ for the LRD, and $M_{\mathrm{UV,BC}}=-18.2\pm 0.2$ for the blue companion. We perform SED fits to both components, revealing the LRD to be best fitted with a black hole star (BH*) model and a substantial host galaxy, and the blue companion with an extremely young, emission-line dominated star-forming nebula. A383-LRD1 represents the second known multiply-imaged LRD detected to date, following A2744-QSO1, and to our knowledge, the first LRD system with a confirmed detection of [C $_{II}$]$\lambda158 \ \mu$m emission from ALMA observations. Thanks to lensing magnification, this system opens a unique door to study the relation between a LRD, its host galaxy, and its environment, and represents a prime candidate for deep JWST spectroscopy and high-resolution ALMA follow-up observations.

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Cited by 3 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

  1. Connecting the Dots: UV-Bright Companions of Little Red Dots as Lyman-Werner Sources Enabling Direct Collapse Black Hole Formation

    astro-ph.GA 2026-02 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    UV-bright companions to Little Red Dots provide Lyman-Werner fluxes of J21 ~ 10^2.5-10^5 that can suppress H2 cooling and enable direct collapse to massive black holes.

  2. On the quenching of LRD X-ray emission by both Compton-thick gas and high accretion rates

    astro-ph.GA 2026-05 unverdicted novelty 5.0

    LRDs require Compton-thick gas at moderate metallicity plus high accretion rates producing weak X-rays to explain their non-detection, implying they are not chemically pristine.

  3. Strong Gravitational Lensing with the James Webb Space Telescope

    astro-ph.CO 2026-05 unverdicted novelty 2.0

    Strong gravitational lensing paired with JWST enables magnified high-resolution views of distant sources and improved constraints on dark matter.