The Case of the Missing Star
What's happened to giant star N6946-BH1? It was there just a few years ago -- Hubble imaged it. Now there's only a faint glow. What's curiouser, no bright supernova occurred -- although the star did brightened significantly for a few months. The leading theory is that, at about 25 times the mass of our Sun, N6946-BH1's great gravity held much of the star together during its final tumultuous death throes, after which most the star sunk into a black hole of its own making.
If so, then what remained outside of the black hole likely then formed an accretion disk that emits comparatively faint infrared light as it swirls around, before falling in. If this mode of star death is confirmed with other stars, it gives direct evidence that a very massive star can end its life with a whimper rather than a bang.
Image & info via APOD
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, C. Kochanek (OSU)
#NASA #space #science #ESA #Hubble #universe
Life can be so generous, from time to time. A very fascinating event! Besides, it reminds me of a very nice Science fiction Saga, whose books I devoured a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteAt the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over one thousand light-years away, a star... vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears.
Just in case someone of you is nuts about Science Fiction, you might give it a try. Here's a link to some critics: goodreads.com - Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists