JWST's Potential Answers to the Mysterious Disappearance of a Massive Star

Astronomers have observed a massive star, N6946-BH1, that disappeared in 2009 and is now considered a failed supernova. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), they have discovered a bright infrared source that could be a remnant dust shell or material infalling into a black hole. Surprisingly, they found three sources instead of one, suggesting a stellar merger rather than a failed supernova. This challenges our understanding of supernovae and stellar mass black holes, and further observations will help distinguish between stellar mergers and true failed supernovae.