Astronomers Observe Star's Silent Collapse into Black Hole in Andromeda Galaxy
A massive star in the Andromeda Galaxy has been observed collapsing directly into a black hole without a supernova explosion, providing new insights into stellar death processes.
Astronomers have observed a massive star in the Andromeda Galaxy undergoing a direct collapse into a black hole without the typical supernova explosion. The star, designated M31-2014-DS1, was initially identified in 2014 through data from NASA's NEOWISE mission, which detected a significant increase in infrared brightness. By 2023, the star had faded dramatically in visible and near-infrared wavelengths, becoming virtually undetectable.
Kishalay De, an astronomer at Columbia University, led the research team that analyzed data spanning from 2005 to 2023. They concluded that M31-2014-DS1's core collapsed directly into a black hole, ejecting a shell of gas and dust without a supernova explosion. This event challenges traditional models of stellar death, suggesting that some massive stars may bypass the supernova stage entirely.
The findings, published in the journal Science, provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of black hole formation and the end stages of massive stars. The research was supported by NASA's Astrophysics Data Analysis Program.