Astronomers Witness Rare Failed Supernova in Andromeda Galaxy

At the center, a hot, dense ball of gas continues to fall inward, feeding the newly formed black hole.

At the center, a hot, dense ball of gas continues to fall inward, feeding the newly formed black hole. NASA’s NEOWISE infrared telescope has provided striking evidence that a massive star in the Andromeda galaxy collapsed directly into a black hole without exploding as a supernova. The star, M31-2014-DS1, faded dramatically in visible light while leaving a faint infrared glow from surrounding dust. Astronomers say this rare “failed supernova” offers one of the clearest examples yet of a quiet stellar collapse in another galaxy.