In 2009, the universe “played a trick” on scientists when a star that seemed ready to explode in a supernova mysteriously disappeared.
Now, thanks to the mighty James Webb Space Telescope, this cosmic enigma may finally be close to being solved. What happened to the bright star that disappeared?
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Located at an impressive distance of 22 million light years from Earth, this giant star was 25 times more massive than the Sun.
Its sudden brightness, equivalent to 1 million suns combined, intrigued scientists, who expected a spectacular explosion in the form of supernova.
However, the star simply disappeared, escaping observation by the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), Hubble and the Spitzer Space Telescope.
(Image: Beasor et al 2023/Reproduction)
Initially, the hypothesis was that the star had become a black hole, but this theory was speculative.
What was known for sure was that it had shone brightly and then suddenly turned off completely, becoming invisible to the telescopes of the time.
Now, in a recent study available for preprint on ArXiv, researchers analyzed data collected by the Space Telescope's NIRCam and MIRI sensors. James Webb. What they found where the star was is surprising: a bright infrared source.
It is possible to explain the brightness in two main ways. First, it could be a layer of dust, consistent with material the star ejected while shining brightly. The other intriguing possibility is that this glow could be caused by material falling into a black hole. However, the last option is considered less likely.
One of the most notable discoveries is that instead of a single remaining object, three were found. The low resolution of previous observations meant that these objects were interpreted as one.
This has led scientists to rethink the idea that the star N6946-BH1 was a failed supernova and suggests that the intense glow may have been the result of a stellar merger.
However, the question of whether the missing star was a failed supernova or a stellar merger has not yet been fully clarified.
James Webb's data leans toward the idea of stellar merger, but the failed supernova hypothesis cannot yet be ruled out.
Regardless of the final answer, these discoveries are a testament to the James Webb Space Telescope's ability to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos.
With more data and observations, we hope that the destiny of similar stars can be revealed, offering clearer insight into these stunning cosmic events.