United KingdomA new study challenges a previous claim that a star named 'Phoebe' exhibited behavior indicative of a primordial black hole. Researchers reanalyzed data from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) and found that Phoebe's brightness changes were natural and consistent with normal stellar activity rather than a rare microlensing event caused by a black hole. The initial claim suggested a fleeting brightening event could be explained by a lunar-mass primordial black hole, but this contradicted long-term data from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE), which did not observe similar events. The new research, led by Andrzej Udalski and Przemek Mróz from the University of Warsaw, included additional observations from 2020 and 2021, showing that Phoebe's brightness varied multiple times over years, ruling out a singular microlensing event. Nearby stars showed stable behavior, supporting the conclusion that Phoebe's changes were ordinary rather than extraordinary.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a scientific debate within astronomy, focusing on the interpretation of observational data. It does not involve political figures, policies, or ideological positions. The framing remains neutral, presenting both the original claim and the counter-analysis without overt bias. The
