Scientists have discovered why some stars disappear without a big explosion like a supernova. This new research was published in the journal Physical Review Letters, according to Newsweek.
Researchers found that some large stars collapse and turn into black holes without making a bright supernova. This challenges the old idea that every star ends with a supernova.
One of the researchers, Alejandro Vigna-Gómez, explained: “We believe that the core of a star can collapse under its weight. This happens to big stars at the end of their lives.”
He added: “Instead of ending in a supernova explosion that is brighter than its whole galaxy, the collapse keeps going until the star becomes a black hole. If you were watching such a star, it might suddenly disappear from the sky.”
Vigna-Gómez also said: “The collapse is so complete that there is no explosion. Nothing escapes, so you wouldn’t see a supernova in the night sky. Astronomers have seen stars suddenly disappear recently.”
He mentioned, “We can’t be sure, but our study of VFTS 243 brings us closer to understanding this. The orbit of VFTS is almost round, and our analysis shows no signs of a big explosion. This suggests there was no supernova.”
So, the black hole in VFTS 243 likely formed without a supernova.
