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After combining several imaging sources, including hard X-rays and radiowaves, the multi-institutional team now speculates that the telescopes captured the exact moment a star collapsed to form a compact object, such as a black hole or neutron star. The stellar debris, approaching and swirling around the object's event horizon, caused the remarkably bright glow.
"We think that 'The Cow' is the formation of an accreting black hole or neutron star," said Northwestern's Raffaella Margutti, who led the research. "We know from theory that black holes and neutron stars form when a star dies, but we've never seen them right after they are born. Never."
originally posted by: midicon
It happened two hundred years ago, not two hundred million.
originally posted by: Pilgrum
originally posted by: midicon
It happened two hundred years ago, not two hundred million.
It is 200 million light years away from us in a distant galaxy so 200 million years ago is the correct figure.
Major events like this occurring a million times closer could present a hazard for this fragile little planet we inhabit.
Now this collapse happened 200 light years away, which means it happens 200 million years ago.
originally posted by: midicon
a reply to: Thecakeisalie
It happened two hundred years ago, not two hundred million.
originally posted by: toms54
a reply to: Thecakeisalie
This is the cow that jumped over the moon.