For the first time, astronomers have tracked a star as it collapsed and became a black hole, according to a study published in Science. Astrophysicist Kishalay De at Columbia University discovered the star's fate by analyzing data from telescopes like Hubble and James Webb. The star, M31-2014-DS1, was once the brightest in the Andromeda galaxy but dimmed around 2015 and disappeared, with De confirming it transformed into a black hole.
It should have exploded in a supernova and is not large enough to form a black hole.
While it has been known for 60 years that stars can form black holes, there is still no consensus on how it actually happens.
He hopes this star can help astronomers better analyze what occurs in a large star's death moment and what is required for a star to become a supernova.