It isn’t just supernovae or merging neutron stars. In fact, it’s the quietest way of all!
“N6946-BH1 is the only likely failed supernova that we found in the first seven years of our survey. During this period, six normal supernovae have occurred within the galaxies we’ve been monitoring, suggesting that 10 to 30 percent of massive stars die as failed supernovae.” –Scott Adams
When a massive enough star runs out of fuel in its core and collapses, the resulting Type II supernova will produce a black hole.
Supernovae that aren’t quite massive enough will produce neutron stars instead, which themselves will make black holes if they either accrete more matter or collide with another neutron star.
These two processes both enrich the Universe with heavy elements: supernovae with elements like iron, silicon, sulphur and phosphorous, while neutron star collisions create gold, mercury, lead and uranium.
An interview with Lisa Kaltenegger, the founding director of the Carl Sagan Institute, about the modern quest to answer an age-old question: "Are we alone in the cosmos?"