Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have discovered the absence of an unstable massive star in a dwarf galaxy. Scientists think this could indicate that the star became less bright and partially obscured by dust. An alternative explanation is that the star collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova. “If true,” says team leader and PhD student Andrew Allan of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, “this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner.”
The release, images and videos are available on:
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2010/
Kind regards,
The ESO Department of Communication
30 June 2020
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25 June 2020: Astronomers use telescopes to peer into far away planetary systems, seeking to uncover the mysteries of their formation and evolution and reveal how they compare to our own. Occasionally though ...
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18 June 2020: The ESO Annual Report 2019 is now available. It presents a summary of ESO’s many activities throughout the year. The contents include:
Research highlights from ESO facilities, including the ...
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Interview with Pierre Léna
26 June 2020: Observing infrared light from the Universe reveals objects that are difficult or impossible to see in other types of light. In particular, infrared astronomy is useful for exploring cool, dusty ...
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Interview with Johann Kolb
12 June 2020: Johann Kolb is an expert in adaptive optics — the correction of the distortion of light caused by turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere. Involving advanced technologies like deformable mirrors and powerful ...
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