Scientists might have witnessed the formation of a black hole for the first time. Back in June scientists spotted an unusually bright flare-up that they now think could have been a black hole or neutron star at the moment of its creation. The bright glow was spotted about 200 million light-years away in the Hercules constellation, by the ATLAS survey's twin telescopes in Hawaii. The unusual event mystified scientists who witnessed it. The flare was nicknamed “The Cow” and disappeared almost as quickly as it surfaced. After comparing data from different sources, scientists are now confident that what they saw was the exact moment that a star collapsed into a compact object, forming a black hole or a neutron star. This is the first time such an event has been witnessed, and it is hoped the historical event will allow them to understand more about the physics of black holes.“We think that 'The Cow' is the formation of an accreting black hole or neutron star," said Northwestern University's Raffaella Margutti, who led the research."We know from theory that black holes and neutron stars form when a star dies, but we've never seen them right after they are born. Never." Initially, scientists assumed the flash had come from a bright star or supernova. However, it did not share the same behavioral traits as other kinds of stars. For example, it was more than 100 times brighter than a typical supernova, and flared up and disappeared much more quickly.It also pushed its particles away so quickly that all evidence of the event almost disappeared within 16 days. "We knew right away that this source went from inactive to peak luminosity within just a few days," Margutti said. "That was enough to get everybody excited because it was so unusual and, by astronomical standards, it was very close by."