A Black Hole or Neutron Star Fell Into Another Star and Triggered a Supernova

What happens when you slam a neutron star (or black hole, take your pick) into a companion star? A supernova, that’s what. And for the first time ever, astronomers think they’ve spotted one. Back in 2014 the MAXI instrument aboard the International Space Station detected a flare of X-rays from a dwarf, star-forming galaxy sitting …