Hubble observed a disappearing supernova in galaxy NGC 6946, indicating a “massive fail,” a rare event where gas collapses inward.
TL;DR
Hubble may have captured the rare event of a “massive fail” supernova in the galaxy NGC 6946. Instead of an explosion, the star’s gas collapsed back into its core, potentially forming a black hole. These phenomena are infrequent, and this star’s disappearance suggests the core’s extreme mass pulled the material inward. The star, located 22 million light-years away, was bright enough for this rare observation. Further analysis could confirm that Hubble witnessed the exact moment a black hole was born.
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When a large star burns through its fuel, its core collapses into a compact object, and the rest of its material is blown outward in an event known as a supernova. What’s usually left behind is either a neutron star or a black hole. Now, it seems Hubble has observed a supernova disappearing—possibly capturing the moment a black hole formed.
While some supernovae are violent and leave behind debris clouds for thousands of years (like the nebula from SN 1054), the star in this case appeared to start exploding, only to have all its gas pulled back into a black hole at its core. This phenomenon can occur when a star’s core is extremely massive. Instead of exploding outward, the gas collapses inward into the core.
These events, known as “massive fails” (yes, that’s the term used), are rare, so astronomers are careful with their conclusions. However, this particular star, located in the galaxy NGC 6946, was bright enough to be seen from 22 million light-years away, and its sudden disappearance suggests a massive black hole may have formed.
