Research
Gravitational-Wave Observations Implicate Failed Supernovae
feeds.aps.org · By Sophia Chen ·
The Brief
- Gravitational-wave observations show a surprising number of merging black holes of about 10 solar masses.
- Stars collapsing directly into black holes, known as failed supernovae, might explain these merging black holes.
Why it matters
It offers a possible explanation for the population of roughly 10-solar-mass merging black holes seen in gravitational-wave data, linking how black holes form to how massive stars die.
Who’s affected
- astronomers studying black hole mergers
- gravitational-wave physicists
Author(s): Sophia Chen Stars collapsing directly into black holes might explain the surprising number of merging black holes of about 10 solar masses. [Physics 19, s149] Published Tue Nov 10, 2026