A ‘monstrous’ star that shined more than 2 million times brighter than the sun disappeared without a trace in 2019.
A study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society magazine has included shocking information about the star. This luminous blue variable (LBV) is found in the constellation Aquarius.
They believe the explanation that stands out is that the star disappeared due to its collapse into a black hole without first experiencing a supernova. Some scientists describe this as an unprecedented act of “interstellar suicide”.
“We may have detected one of the most massive stars in the local universe that gently enters the night,” said Joseph Groh, astronomer at Trinity COllege Dublin. He has also written an article about the star.
“If true, this would be the first direct detection of a monster star that ends its life this way,” says Andrew Allan, who is also from the same institution.
The star was located 75 million light-years away and was studied for 10 years, between 2001 and 2011. There are only a dozen recorded instances of such stars.
The star and its mysterious disappearance have left scientists alarmed. It is not natural for a star larger than our sun to end its life without a supernova.
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