In 2019 scientists witnessed a massive star, millions of times brighter than the Sun, disappear without a trace. Recently, a team of astrophysicists attempted to solve the case of the disappearing star by providing several possible explanations. Of these, one twist ending stands out: perhaps, the scientists suggested, the massive star died and collapsed into a black hole without undergoing a supernova explosion first, a truly unprecedented act of stellar suicide.
An artist’s impression of the luminous blue variable star that mysteriously vanished
© ESO/L. Calçada
“We may have detected one of the most massive stars of the local universe going gently into the night,” said researcher Jose Groh. “If true this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner,” said study lead author Andrew Allan.