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Black Hole

An object with such powerful gravity that nothing can escape from it, including light. The black hole’s mass is concentrated in a point of almost infinite density called a singularity. At the singularity itself, gravity is almost infinitely strong, so it crushes normal space-time out of existence. As the distance from the singularity increases, its gravitational influence lessens. At a certain distance, which depends on the singularity’s mass, the speed needed to escape from the black hole equals the speed of light. This distance marks the black hole’s “horizon,” which is like its surface. Anything that passes through the horizon is trapped inside the black hole. Black holes come in several varieties, depending on mass.

Resources

Black Holes May 21, 2010

Radio Programs

Building Big Black Holes Building bigger black holes June 26, 2018

Death-Ray Galaxy A death ray from a monster black hole June 10, 2018

Pulsars III Timing ripples in space and time November 29, 2017

Making Gold Making gold in the oddest of places November 6, 2017

V404 Cygni A binge-eating black hole September 1, 2017

Disappearing Star A potential firecracker fizzles out August 23, 2017

Black-Hole Blobs A black hole fires some rockets August 12, 2017

Black Hole Reality The reality about black holes July 26, 2017

Busy Merger A possible medium-size black hole May 10, 2017

Doomed Star A star faces a fate worse than death May 9, 2017

Jets Jetting off into the cosmos May 4, 2017

Middleweight Black Hole Evidence of a middleweight black hole April 27, 2017

Black-Hole Feast A black hole feasts on a big star April 26, 2017

Event Horizon Telescope Looking for a giant black hole April 4, 2017

Event Horizon Crossing an “eventful” horizon April 3, 2017

Quasars Looking deep into the universe March 15, 2017

Active Galaxies “Activating” the heart of a galaxy March 14, 2017

Super Supernovae II Explaining a brilliant explosion January 17, 2017

Slow Eater A black hole that’s a slow eater December 15, 2016

NGC 1600 A plain galaxy with a dark heart December 14, 2016

Brightest Galaxy The distant glow of a brilliant galaxy October 1, 2016

Dark Alternatives New light on dark matter August 29, 2016

Scorpius X-1 Diagnosing a dead star July 22, 2016

Black Hole Ripples Explaining ripples in the universe June 30, 2016

Stellar Disruption The outcry of a dying star June 29, 2016

Biggest of the Big The biggest of the big June 28, 2016

Black Hole Outline Outlining a supermassive black hole June 27, 2016

Gamma-Ray Bursts III The brilliant birth of a black hole April 20, 2016

Gamma-Ray Bursts II A final gasp from dead stars April 19, 2016

Evaporating Galaxy A galaxy that’s ripping itself apart March 23, 2016

Black Hole Snowplow Snowplowing lanes around a black hole March 4, 2016

Interferometry V Looking at giant black holes February 12, 2016

Switching On Switching on the heart of a galaxy December 18, 2015

Odd Relationship Black holes shut down starbirth December 17, 2015

Merging Quasars Pairs of black holes get closer December 16, 2015

Waking Up A black hole wakes up hungry September 14, 2015

Galactic Hub Visiting downtown Milky Way August 12, 2015

Early Beacon A bright beacon in the early universe May 28, 2015

Quasars An astronomical contradiction May 27, 2015

M87 Cluster A cosmic bullet from a black hole April 24, 2015

Close Escape A black hole snacks on a star January 12, 2015

Survivor The heart of the galaxy stays quiet January 11, 2015

Featured Images

multi-wavelength view of 3c 321

Death-Ray Galaxy June 10, 2018
Quasar 3c 298

'Pushy' Black Hole February 26, 2018
HST view of 47 Tucanae

Star Globe May 9, 2017
A swirl of stars at the center of the Milky Way contains a supermassive black hole

Looking for Darkness April 4, 2017
Artist's concept of 47 Tucanae X9, a likely black hole-white dwarf binary

Living Dangerously March 16, 2017
X-Ray image of VLA J2130+12

Slow Eater December 15, 2016

Swirling Galaxy December 3, 2016
Cosmic ray shower

Cosmic Showers November 28, 2016
Computer simulation of merging black holes

Dark Ripples June 30, 2016
Elliptical galaxy NGC 1600

Biggest of the Big June 28, 2016
Artist's concept of the galaxy WISE 2246

Evaporating Galaxy March 22, 2016
Strong winds blowing from a black hole in a distant spiral galaxy

Windy Black Hole January 15, 2016
The odd galaxy NGC 660

Busy Galaxy December 18, 2015
Hubble view of galaxy Markarian 231

Double Double November 22, 2015
X-ray energy forms expanding rings around the black hole V404 Cygni

Big Gulp Aftermath September 15, 2015
G2 survives its swing around the black hole at the center of the Milky Way

Narrow Escape March 27, 2015

Jetting Across the Universe August 12, 2014
Artist's concept of hot gas funneling toward black hole at center of Milky Way

Dark Center July 29, 2014
Combined visible, X-ray image of M51, the whirlpool galaxy

Colorful Whirlpool June 4, 2014
Artist's concept of black hole binary star system in the galaxy M101

Brilliant Darkness January 16, 2014
The powerful quasar SDSS J1106

Phenomenal Cosmic Power May 10, 2013
A black hole is created in the Large Hadron Collider, then quickly evaporates

Making a Black Hole February 26, 2013
Artist's concept of a distant quasar

Fiery Galaxy February 5, 2013
Combined optical and X-ray view of two possible black holes in the galaxy IC 342

On the Job January 8, 2013
Artist's concept of Cygnus X-1, with X-ray image shown in inset

Powerhouse August 1, 2012
The remnants of two merged galaxies

Fast Exit June 18, 2012
Hubble Space Telescope view of galaxy ESO 243-49

Little Giant May 29, 2012
Simulation of a supermassive black hole disrupting a star

Messy Meal May 4, 2012
Artist's concept of stars and a gas cloud near the Milky Way's central black hol

Snack Time March 29, 2012

New Heavyweight Champion February 6, 2012
Stars and gas swirl around the black hole at the center of the Milky Way

Swirling Center September 27, 2011
A thick torus of dust encircles a quasar

Water Works September 13, 2011
NGC 3758, a system of two merging galaxies

Double Trouble June 11, 2011
X-ray and radio image of galaxy M87

Close to the Monster March 10, 2011
Irregular galaxy Henize 2-10, which appears to contain a supermassive black hole

Small But Powerful March 8, 2011
Hubble view of Hanny's Voorwerp and the galaxy IC 2497

In the Spotlight January 11, 2011
M87 black hole

Busy Black Hole August 11, 2010