NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory Revealed Formation of Youngest Black Hole in Milky Way

NASA scientists discovered the youngest black hole in our galaxy, Milky Way in February 2013. This youngest black hole is merely 1000 years old and just 26000 light years away from our planet. According to the new data revealed by Chandra X-ray Observatory of NASA, the distorted remains of supernova could contain most recent or the youngest black hole formed in our galaxy. The remains known as W49B are a result of rare explosion due to which matter ejects at very high speed along poles of rotating star.

Scientists described that W49B is the first one that was discovered in Milky Way. It was observed that the parent star of W49B died in such a way like most of the other stars don’t. Most often, when the massive star does not have fuel, its central region collapses which leads to certain events which quickly lead to supernova explosion.

Most of the explosions are symmetrical due to which stellar material blasts away almost evenly in all the directions. However in case of W49B supernova, material in proximity with the doomed rotating star was cast out at a higher speed than the material originating from the equator. Jets which shoot from the poles of the star are the main cause for shaping the supernova explosion as well as its results.

The trace or the remains are now glowing brightly in certain wavelengths and X-rays which offer a confirmation of the explosion. The scientists compared the data from Chandra with theoretical models of the process of star explosion by tracing distribution as well as amounts of various elements in stellar debris field.

The scientists explained that apart from having unusual elements, W49B is also elliptical and elongated than the other traces. In the study, it was also examined about the kind of compact objects the supernova explosion left. Usually, the massive stars which collapse into supernovas leave behind dense and spinning core which is called neutron star. These neutron stars can be detected using the X-rays or radio pulses.

However, data from Chandra did not reveal any evidence of a neutron star. Absence of evidence like this indicated towards the formation of a black hole.