Astronomers spotted a massive star vanish into a black hole without exploding

Space
Astronomers spotted a massive star vanish into a black hole without exploding

A massive star in a distant galaxy bypassed the expected fiery supernova stage, seemingly collapsing directly into a black hole in a rare cosmic event known as a failed supernova.

In 2009, astronomers observed a star 25 times more massive than our Sun suddenly brighten before fading into obscurity. By 2015, the giant star known as N6946-BH1 had completely disappeared from view. Researchers believe the star collapsed under its own gravity without the typical violent explosion of a supernova.

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