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The Mysterious Disappearance of a Star: Insights into a Failed Supernova Explosion

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Illustration of a failed supernova creating a black hole

Illustration of a Failed Supernova Explosion Forming a Black Hole

NASA, ESA, and P. Jeffries (STScI)

A massive star in the Andromeda galaxy has seemingly vanished instead of exploding, resulting in the formation of a black hole in a peculiar manner.

Typically, black holes originate from stars that explode as supernovas. However, they can also emerge from stars that collapse due to their own gravity, directly creating black holes without the explosive phase.

In 2024, Kisharai De from Columbia University, along with his team, investigated the case of M31-2014-DS1, an exceptionally bright star located in the Andromeda galaxy, approximately 20 times the mass of our Sun. The star exhibited an initial brightening in 2014, followed by a significant dimming from 2017 to 2020. This behavior aligned with predictions for a supernova that would fail to result in a black hole, yet no direct evidence of the black hole was observed, such as X-ray emissions.

Currently, De and his colleagues are utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Chandra X-ray Observatory to study M31-2014-DS1. They have detected a faint red object at the star’s previous location, which is only about 8% brighter than the original star and enveloped in rapidly expanding dust. This finding aligns with the expected characteristics of a supernova that fails to produce a black hole. However, De and his team have refrained from commenting further, as their research has not yet undergone peer review.

Another group studying the same JWST data, including Emma Beasor from Liverpool John Moores University, UK, suggested that the case for M31-2014-DS1 failing to explode may also indicate a stellar merger, which could result in small explosions followed by dimming and dust formation.

“Predictions for the appearance of a failed supernova significantly overlap with what we might expect from a collision of two stars creating vast amounts of dust,” Beasor explained.

However, both scenarios are rare, she noted, as it is uncommon to observe such drastic color changes in a star.

“No matter the explanation, it’s fascinating that the visible star has essentially vanished,” stated Gerald Gilmore from Cambridge University. “For years, the search for extinct massive stars has produced ambiguous outcomes, but now, advancements in multi-wavelength time-domain astronomy are paving the way for clarity.”

The definitive method for confirming black hole formation is through the identification of X-ray emissions, Gilmore noted, which are currently absent at the M31-2014-DS1 location. Nevertheless, if advanced telescopes like JWST can analyze the remnants of dimmed stars, we could soon uncover what occurred. “We are on the verge of discovering at least one of the ultimate fates of a massive star, which is intriguingly akin to the Cheshire Cat’s disappearance,” he remarked.

References: arXiv, DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2601.05774 and DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2601.05317

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Webb Discovers the Most Ancient Supernova Explosion Ever Recorded

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Astronomers utilizing the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have identified a supernova explosion linked to gamma-ray burst event GRB 250314A at a redshift of 7.3, occurring when the universe was merely 730 million years old. The previous record-holder for supernovae was observed when the universe reached 1.8 billion years. This discovery is detailed in two papers published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Webb identified the origin of the blinding flashes known as gamma-ray bursts. This particular gamma-ray burst exploded when the universe was merely 730 million years old. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / A. Levan, IMAPP / A. Pagan, STScI.

“Only Mr. Webb has directly demonstrated that this light is from a collapsing massive star,” stated Dr. Andrew Levan, an astronomer at Radboud University and the University of Warwick, and lead author of one of the papers.

“This observation suggests that we can utilize Webb to detect individual stars from a time when the universe was just 5% of its current age.”

Whereas gamma-ray bursts typically last from seconds to minutes, supernovae rapidly brighten over several weeks before slowly dimming.

In contrast, the supernova linked to GRB 250314A took months to brighten.

Because this explosion occurred so early in the universe’s history, its light continued to evolve as the universe expanded over billions of years.

As the light stretches, the duration for events to unfold also lengthens.

Webb’s observations were intentionally made three and a half months after the closure of the GRB 250314A event, as it was expected that the supernova would be at its brightest at this time.

“Webb provided the rapid and sensitive follow-up we so desperately needed,” remarked Dr. Benjamin Schneider, an astronomer at the Marseille Institute of Astrophysics.

Gamma-ray bursts are exceedingly rare. Bursts lasting only a few seconds may originate from the collision of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole.

Longer bursts, like this one, which lasted around 10 seconds, are often linked to the explosions of massive stars.

On March 14, 2025, the SVOM mission—a joint Franco-Chinese telescope launched in 2024 designed to spot fleeting events—will detect gamma-ray bursts from extremely distant sources.

Within an hour and a half, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory had pinpointed the X-ray source in the sky, facilitating follow-up observations to measure the distance of the web.

Eleven hours later, Nordic optical telescopes revealed the afterglow of the infrared gamma-ray burst, indicating that gamma rays may correspond to very distant objects.

Four hours later, ESO’s Very Large Telescope estimated that the object existed 730 million years after the Big Bang.

“Only a handful of gamma-ray bursts have been identified in the first billion years of the universe and merely a few in the last 50 years,” Levan noted.

“This remarkable event is exceedingly rare and thrilling.”

As this is the oldest and most distant supernova ever identified, researchers compared it to nearby modern supernovae, finding surprising similarities.

Why? Little is still understood about the early billion years of the universe.

Early stars likely lacked heavy elements, were massive, and had brief lifespans.

They also existed during the reionization era, when intergalactic gas was almost opaque to high-energy light.

“Dr. Webb has demonstrated that this supernova resembles modern supernovae very closely,” stated Professor Nial Tanvir from the University of Leicester.

“Webb’s findings indicate that this distant galaxy is akin to other galaxies of the same epoch,” commented Dr. Emeric Le Floch, an astronomer at CEA Paris-Saclay.

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AJ Levan et al. 2025. JWST reveals a supernova following a gamma-ray burst at z ≃ 7.3. A&A 704, L8; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202556581

B. Cordier et al. 2025. SVOM GRB 250314A at z ≃ 7.3: Exploding star in the reionization era. A&A 704, L7; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202556580

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers Uncover Strange Explosion from the Supermassive Black Hole in NGC 3783

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Utilizing ESA’s XMM-Newton along with the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM)—a collaborative endeavor led by JAXA, ESA, and NASA—astronomers detected an ultrafast outflow from the supermassive black hole in NGC 3783, moving at 19% the speed of light (57,000 km/s).

An artist’s conception of NGC 3783’s wind-blown supermassive black hole. Image credit: ESA/ATG Europe.

NGC 3783 is a luminous barred spiral galaxy located about 135 million light-years away in the Centaurus constellation.

This galaxy was initially discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on April 21, 1835.

Also referred to as ESO 378-14, LEDA 36101, or 2XMM J113901.7-374418, it is a prominent member of the NGC 3783 group, which contains 47 galaxies.

NGC 3783 hosts a rapidly rotating supermassive black hole with a mass of 2.8 million solar masses.

“We have never witnessed a black hole producing winds at such speeds before,” stated Dr. Li Gu, an astronomer at the Netherlands Space Research Organization (SRON).

“Swift bursts of X-ray light from a black hole immediately provoke superfast winds, and for the first time, we observe how these winds develop within just a day.”

During 10 days of observations, mainly using the XRISM space telescope, astronomers monitored the emergence and acceleration of a burst from NGC 3783’s supermassive black hole.

While such explosions are typically attributed to intense radiation, in this instance, the likely cause is a sudden shift in the magnetic field, akin to solar flares caused by the Sun’s outbursts.

It is known that supermassive black holes emit X-rays, but this marks the first occasion where astronomers have distinctly observed rapid ejections during these X-ray bursts.

This finding emerged from the longest continuous observation conducted by XRISM to date.

Over these 10 days, scientists noted fluctuations in the brightness of the X-rays, particularly within the soft X-ray band.

Such fluctuations, including explosions lasting three days, are not uncommon for supermassive black holes.

What sets this explosion apart is the simultaneous expulsion of gas from the black hole’s accretion disk—a swirling disc of matter in orbit around the black hole.

This gas was expelled at astonishing speeds, hitting 57,000 km/s, or 19% of the speed of light.

Researchers identified the origin of this gas as a region approximately 50 times larger than the black hole itself.

Within this chaotic region, gravitational and magnetic forces are in extreme interaction.

The emission is believed to be the result of a phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection, which occurs when the magnetic field rapidly reorganizes and releases vast amounts of energy.

“This is an unparalleled opportunity to explore the mechanisms behind ultrafast ejections,” Dr. Gu remarked.

“The data indicate that magnetic forces, resembling those involved in coronal mass ejections from the Sun, are responsible for the acceleration of the outflow.”

“A coronal mass ejection occurs when a hefty plume of hot solar plasma is hurled into space.”

“In contrast, supermassive black holes can produce similar events, but these eruptions are 10 billion times more potent and far smaller than solar phenomena we’ve observed.”

Scientists propose that the black hole activity observed may mirror its solar counterpart, driven by an abrupt burst of magnetic energy.

This challenges the widely-held theory that black holes expel matter predominantly through intense radiation or extreme heat.

These findings provide fresh insights into how black holes not only consume matter but can also expel it back into space under specific conditions.

This feedback process plays a critical role in galaxy evolution, affecting nearby stars and gas and potentially contributing to the structure of the universe as we know it.

“This discovery highlights the effective collaboration that underpins all ESA missions,” noted XMM-Newton project scientist and ESA astronomer Dr. Eric Courkers.

“By focusing on an active supermassive black hole, the two telescopes unveiled something unprecedented: rapid, ultrafast flare-induced winds similar to those generated by the Sun.”

“Interestingly, this suggests that solar physics and high-energy physics may operate in surprisingly similar fashions throughout the universe.”

The team’s paper was published in the December 9, 2025 issue of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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Gu Lee Yi et al. 2025. Investigating NGC 3783 with XRISM. III. Emergence of ultra-high-speed outflow during soft flares. A&A 704, A146; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202557189

Source: www.sci.news

These Cosmic Beasts Are Sparkling the Largest Explosion Since the Big Bang

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The immense void of space implies that only one star can occupy a region at a time.

This phenomenon occurs because the mass of these stars is 80 billion times lighter than Earth, with three colossal entities devouring stars ten times larger than our Sun.

A recent study from the University of Hawaii reveals that astronomers, while analyzing data from NASA and the European Space Agency, have identified three ultra-massive black holes. A gigantic one consumes stars far exceeding the sizes of those that orbit the center of our solar system.

The explosions reported by these researchers happened when the black holes tore apart and engulfed the remnants of these stars, yielding the largest events since the Big Bang that shaped our universe.

“What excites me about this research is that we are extending the boundaries of our understanding of the most energetic environments in the universe,” stated Anna Payne, a staff scientist at the Institute of Space Telescope Science and co-author, in a NASA article.

Black holes are cosmic entities that remain unseen by the naked eye, possessing a gravitational force so intense it can capture everything, including light itself. Supermassive black holes, the largest varieties, reside at the centers of galaxies, gradually consuming planets and other materials.

When a star falls under the influence of a supermassive black hole, new research published this week suggests it could end in a dramatic explosion categorized as an “extreme nuclear transient.”Journals advance in science

“These occurrences are unique as they provide the only means for us to illuminate a massive black hole that would typically remain dormant,” noted University of Hawaii graduate student Jason Hinkle in a related article from NASA.NASA article.

Hinkle serves as the lead author of a new study that documents two such events for the first time in the last decade.

Two of the three supermassive black holes were observed by ESA missions in 2016 and 2018, marking the first time they were documented. The third, cataloged as ZTF20Abrbeie, was discovered by the Caltech Observatory in California in 2020 and officially recorded in 2023.

The explosion’s magnitude rivals only that of the Big Bang, which initiated the universe.

Differing from typical stellar explosions, the variations in X-rays, optical, and ultraviolet emissions in these events indicated a “star-consuming black hole.”

NASA explains that black holes actually become brighter during these cosmic occurrences, with their luminosity lasting several months.

This brightness offers scientists a new methodology to uncover additional black holes in the far reaches of the early universe. As astronomers peer into the cosmos, the farther they look, the more ancient light they detect. For instance, light from the Sun takes eight minutes to reach Earth.

“You can use these three objects as a template for what to search for in the future,” Payne remarked.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

A nearby supernova explosion could have triggered multiple mass extinctions on Earth

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New research from Keele University and Universidad de Alicante shows that near Earth explosion Giant O and B type stars It occurs at a rate of 2.5 per billion years. This result supports the view that such an event may have caused one or more of the mass extinction events recorded on Earth.

Among the puppies in the constellation, I have the impression of the artist Zeta Puppis, an O-shaped star about 1,400 light years away. Image credit: Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa.

Astronomers at Kiel and Alicante University believe that the explosion of supernova near Earth could condemn both the late Devonian and Ordovician extinction events that occurred 372 and 445 million years ago, respectively.

Ordovician extinction killed 60% of marine invertebrates when life was largely confined to the ocean, and the late Devonian wiped out about 70% of all species, leading to a major change in the species of fish present in ancient seas and lakes.

Previous studies have not been able to identify a clear cause of either event, but are thought to be related to Earth's ozone layer depletion, which may have been caused by supernova.

A new study found that the velocity supernova that occurs near our planet coincides with the timing of both mass extinctions.

“Supernova explosions bring heavy chemical elements to interstellar media, which are used to form new stars and planets,” said Dr. Alexis Quintana, PhD from Kiel University, the lead author of the study.

“However, if planets, including Earth, are too close to events of this type, this can have devastating effects.”

“Supernova explosions are some of the most energetic explosions in the universe,” said Dr. Nick Wright, PhD from Keel University.

“If a large star explodes as a supernova close to Earth, the results will be devastating for life on Earth. This study suggests that this may already be happening.”

An artist impression of HR 6819, a close binary consisting of deleted B-shaped stars (background) and rapidly rotating BE stars (foreground). Image credit: ESO/L. Calsada.

Astronomers came to their conclusion after conducting a large-scale census of OB stars in the sun of Kiloparscheck (approximately 3,260 light years).

They studied the distribution of these stars to learn more about how clusters of stars and galaxies form using themselves as benchmarks, and the rate at which these stars form in our galaxies.

The census allowed researchers to calculate the rate at which supernovas occur within galaxies, which are important for supernova observations, and the rates that are important for the production of large-scale star rests, such as black holes and neutron stars throughout the universe.

Data will also help in the future development of gravitational wave detectors, a useful tool for scientists studying the structure and origin of the universe.

As part of this, the researchers calculated the supernova rate within the 20 parsecs (65 light years) of the Sun and compared this to the approximate velocity rate of mass extinction events on Earth that were previously attributed to nearby supernovas.

This exclusion events linked to other factors such as asteroid impacts and ice ages.

Comparing these datasets, experts found that their studies support the theory that supernova explosions are responsible for both the late Devonian and Ordovician extinction events.

“We calculated the supernova rate close to Earth, and we found that it coincides with the speed of mass extinction events on our planet, which are related to external forces such as supernova,” Dr. Wright said.

Astronomers believe it occurs in galaxies like the Milky Way at about one or two supernovas, or even lower speeds, but the good news is that there are only two nearby stars that can reach the supernova within the next million years or so.

“But both of these are over 500 light years from the US, and computer simulations have previously suggested that supernovaes at distance from Earth are likely to not affect our planet,” the author said.

Their study It will be published in Monthly Notices from the Royal Astronomical Society.

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Alexis L. Quintana et al. 2025. Census of AB stars within 1 kpc and collapse rate of star formation and core collapse Supernova rate. mnrasin press; arxiv: 2503.08286v1

Source: www.sci.news

Rocket explosion by SpaceX causes flight delays at Florida airport due to debris concerns

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A huge explosion of a SpaceX rocket above South Florida caused major disruptions for an air traveler due to unexpected delays.

The failure of the SpaceX mission led to the FAA grounding air traffic around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, citing concerns about “space-fired debris.”

“After years of traveling, this is a first,” expressed a Facebook user who goes by the name of Rappeck. Executive Peck was flying to South America but had to divert to Miami.

The flight pilot informed passengers that a space rocket had exploded during flight, causing debris to fall along their path. They reassured the passengers that they were safe but needed to circle back to Miami.

Peck shared, “We eventually had to return to Miami. It’s unbelievable. We’ve faced delays due to weather, mechanical issues, and even unruly passengers, but never because of a rocket explosion.”

Jesse Winans, a traveler en route from Costa Rica to Charlotte, found himself in an unexpected layover in Fort Lauderdale along with other passengers.

“They are trying to manage the situation with customers, but I anticipate a long process to reach our destination,” complained the frustrated traveler to NBC South Florida.

Debris from a SpaceX rocket above the Bahamas on Thursday.
John Ward

SpaceX previously experienced a similar accident in January and has pledged to learn from this latest incident.

The company stated Thursday night in a released statement, “We will analyze data from today’s flight tests to better understand the root causes. Success stems from our learnings, and today’s flights provide more insight to enhance Starship’s reliability.”

Elon Musk summed it up more succinctly with his statement: “Rocket science is hard.”


David K. Lee

Senior Breaking News Reporter

Brian Hamacher of NBC South Florida and Sarah Mahidri contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com