Star Gives Birth to Possible Black Hole in Hubble and Spitzer Images

The video explores the disappearance of a massive star in the galaxy NGC 6946, observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Initially visible in 2007, the star vanished by 2015, leading astronomers to hypothesize it became a black hole without a supernova explosion, a phenomenon termed a 'failed supernova.' Observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope and plans for further analysis with the Chandra X-ray Observatory aim to confirm this. If validated, this would mark the first observed birth of a black hole and a failed supernova, challenging existing theories and opening new avenues in astronomy.

What are the potential future observations that could confirm the findings of the team?

What implications would the confirmation of this black hole's birth have for our understanding of massive stars?