Scientists Capture the Clearest View Yet of a Star Collapsing Into a Black Hole
Scientists Capture the Clearest View Yet of a Star Collapsing Into a Black Hole
The star, in the Andromeda galaxy, collapsed and disappeared without first exploding in a supernova.
February 12, 2026
The image shows a shell of thick gas and dust (red) expelled from the outer layers of a star as its core collapsed into a black hole. The inner regions show a heated ball of gas (white) continuing to fall into the central black hole. (Credit: Keith Miller, Caltech/IPAC - SELab)