The supernova (SN 1979C) that may contain the youngest known black hole in our cosmic neighborhood is seen here within the galaxy M100. In this composite image, Chandra’s X-rays are colored gold, while optical data from ESO’s Very Large Telescope are shown in red, green, and blue, and infrared data from Spitzer are red.

Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/D.Patnaude et al/ ESO/VLT/Caltech

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WASHINGTON: Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found evidence of the youngest black hole known to exist in our cosmic neighbourhood.

The 30-year-old black hole provides a unique opportunity to watch this type of object develop from infancy, the authors said in a report to appear in the New Astronomy journal.

Thought to be the youngest black hole in our cosmic ‘neighbourhood,’ it could help scientists better understand how huge stars explode, which ones leave behind black holes or neutron stars, and how many black holes there may be in our galaxy and others.

Nearest example of black hole birth

"If our interpretation is correct, this is the nearest example where the birth of a black hole has been observed," said Daniel Patnaude of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who led the study.

Astronomers believe the black hole is a remnant of SN 1979C, a supernova in the galaxy M100 approximately 50 million light-years from Earth.

"This may be the first time the common way of making a black hole has been observed," said co-author Abraham Loeb, also of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. "However, it is very difficult to detect this type of black hole birth because decades of X-ray observations are needed to make the case."

Youngest known neutron star?

The idea of a black hole with an observed age of only about 30 years is consistent with a theory presented in 2005 suggesting that the bright optical light of SN 1979C was powered by a jet from a black hole unable to form a gamma-ray burst (GRB) by penetrating the hydrogen envelope of the star.

Although the evidence points to a newly formed black hole in SN 1979C, another possibility is that a young, rapidly spinning neutron star could be responsible for the X-ray emission.

This would make the object in SN 1979C the youngest and brightest example of such a ‘pulsar wind nebula’ and the youngest known neutron star. The Crab pulsar, the best-known example of a bright pulsar wind nebula, is about 950 years old.

Chanda filling in the gaps

"It’s very rewarding to see how the commitment of some of the most advanced telescopes in space, like Chandra, can help complete the story," said Jon Morse, head of the Astrophysics Division at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Black holes are massive phenomena with a gravitational force so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape them; they are caused by the death of a giant star exploding into a supernova.