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TexasTowelie

(111,292 posts)
Fri May 26, 2017, 08:06 AM May 2017

Astronomers witness star's death, birth of new black hole

May 25 (UPI) -- In 2015, a star tracked by astronomers since 2009, suddenly disappeared. New research suggests the star collapsed and became a black hole, but avoided the explosive violence of a supernova.

The discovery, detailed in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, could explain why many of the universe's most massive stars die without a parting explosion.

"The typical view is that a star can form a black hole only after it goes supernova," Christopher Kochanek, professor of astronomy at Ohio State University, said in a news release. "If a star can fall short of a supernova and still make a black hole, that would help to explain why we don't see supernovae from the most massive stars."

The star N6946-BH1 was one of several in the galaxy NGC 6946 being eyed by Kochanek and his colleagues. The so-called "Fireworks Galaxy" is well known for its plethora of supernova explosions.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2017/05/25/Astronomers-witness-stars-death-birth-of-new-black-hole/5811495736267/

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