Astronomers might have finally seen a star become a black hole

Astronomers may have witnessed a never-before-seen event: A star becoming a black hole.

Last June, astronomers encountered an unusual explosion some 200 million light-years from Earth that still puzzles them today. Since then, scientists around the world have tried to figure out the object's identity using a NASA-funded telescope in Hawaii.

Nicknamed “The Cow,” there are two possible theories surrounding AT2018cow: Either it's a black hole shredding a passing star or it’s a supernova – a stellar explosion – that gave birth to a black hole or a neutron star. 

If the latter, the mystical flare could be the first time humanity captured the precise moment when a star gives birth to a black hole.

Some scientists believe there could be a “central engine” within The Cow that could either be a highly magnetized neutron star – the collapsed core of a giant star – or an extremely hot star that became a black hole.

Scientists will continue investigating The Cow and look for similar objects that could provide more data.