Astronomers capture a "failed supernova" in the Andromeda galaxy
Scientists have captured the clearest evidence yet of a massive star collapsing directly into a black hole without undergoing a brilliant supernova explosion.
An Archival Find from NEOWISE
A research team led by Kishalay De at Columbia University discovered the disappearance of a massive supergiant, M31-2014-DS1, in the Andromeda galaxy (2.5 million light-years away). By analyzing archival data from NASA’s NEOWISE mission from 2014, scientists found that the star glowed intensely in infrared light for about three years before fading dramatically and disappearing, leaving behind a shell of dust.
M31-2014-DS1 Stellar Profile
- Initial Mass: ~13 times the mass of the Sun
- Mass at Death: ~5 solar masses (due to powerful stellar winds)
- Death Mechanism: Direct core collapse into a black hole (failed supernova)
The Silent Death of Giants
For a long time, it was assumed that stars of this mass would always explode as supernovae. However, the new findings, published in the journal Science, suggest that gravity, gas pressure, and shock waves can interact chaotically inside the dying star, causing its inner core to undergo a complete inward collapse. This confirms a 1970s prediction that such an event would leave behind a faint infrared glow from the star shedding its outer layers.
"It comes as a shock to know that a massive star basically disappeared without an explosion and nobody noticed it for more than five years. It really impacts our understanding of the inventory of massive stellar deaths in the universe. It says that these things may be quietly happening out there and easily going unnoticed," said Kishalay De, astronomy professor (Columbia University).
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