Collapse of a massive star. Artwork (image 3 of 7) showing a the collapse of a Wolf-Rayet star (a stage in the evolution of a very massive star). The

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Collapse of a massive star. Artwork (image 3 of 7) showing a the collapse of a Wolf-Rayet star (a stage in the evolution of a very massive star). The core of the Wolf-Rayet star has collapsed, forming a black hole surrounded by a disk of accreting matter (blue). Within a few seconds, jets of matter (white) are ejected at near the speed of light. The jets, in conjunction with vigorous winds of radioactive nickel-56 blowing off the disk inside, shatter the star within seconds, creating a supernova event and generating a gamma-ray burst. Observations of a very energetic supernova, associated with a long gamma-ray burst (GRB 030329) in the constellation Leo on 29 March 2003, provide evidence for this collapsar model of the origin of some gamma-ray bursts.

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Size: 3595px × 2426px
Photo credit: © NASA/SkyWorks Digital/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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