Silent Star Death: Rare 'Failed Supernova' Forms Black Hole

Astronomers have observed a rare 'failed supernova' event where the massive star M31-2014-DS1 in the Andromeda galaxy vanished without the typical supernova explosion, likely collapsing directly into a black hole. This phenomenon, where a star's mass collapses inward without an outward explosion, has been difficult to observe directly. The findings, yet to be peer-reviewed, suggest that 98% of the star's mass formed a black hole, similar to another candidate, N6946-BH1, in the Fireworks Galaxy. Further observations are planned to confirm these events.