Black holes
Black holes are regions of space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing — not even light — can escape. Rather than empty space, black holes are chock full of matter that gets squeezed into a teensy space.
Latest about Black Holes
![An illustration showing a quasar powered by a feeding supermassive black hole.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PNyLTTdPbHKtteChHvLaG-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Universe's oldest X-ray-spitting quasar could reveal how the biggest black holes were born
By Robert Lea published
The newly identified quasar, observed 13.7 billion light-years away by the James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, could be an example of a heavy black hole "seed" in the early universe.
![An artist's conception of the pair of supermassive black holes at the center of the galaxy 0402+379, 750 million light-years from Earth.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRGYCn5tzAd7o2Rb4KZXhR-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Scientists found a way for two black holes to orbit each other forever without colliding
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Contrary to conventional wisdom, a pair of black holes could exist in perfect pairs without leading to a cataclysmic merger, new research suggests. All it takes is a dose of cosmic expansion.
![An artist's illustration of the black hole M87* wobbling on its axis.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-320-80.png 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-450-80.png 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-500-80.png 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-650-80.png 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-840-80.png 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-970-80.png 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-1024-80.png 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PwhZ5qJnh7PejUSfXng7PP-1200-80.png 1200w)
Scientists just proved that 'monster' black hole M87 is spinning — confirming Einstein’s relativity yet again
By Ben Turner published
Astronomers have spotted two huge jets fired off by the 'monster' black hole M87 wobbling on an 11-year cycle, proving for the first time that black holes spin.
![A galaxy grouping called Stephan’s Quintet, which contains an imposter galaxy that is actually much closer to Earth than the others.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iKmHBfP3nAQ84mRHqACX3F-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
An ancient, ravenous black hole has been hiding an 11-billion-year-old galaxy in its glare
By Robert Lea published
A team of astronomers has used a tricky technique to study an ancient galaxy previously lost in the glare of a blazing quasar.
![Black hole and accretion disk.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYDy5mpY3mJ3bqHAh9DSEf-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
New Horizon Prize in Physics awarded to scientists chasing mysterious black hole photon spheres
By Ben Turner published
Alexandru Lupsasca and Michael Johnson won the physics prize for their work on photon spheres — weird rings of light around black holes that may reveal a theory of quantum gravity.
![Image of the Hyades star cluster.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aYVnwDY4G5FX3i49ytWdo5-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
The closest black holes to Earth may be lurking in a star cluster visible to the naked eye
By Brandon Specktor published
Astronomers found evidence of multiple stellar-mass black holes lurking in the nearby Hyades cluster, just 150 light-years from Earth.
![An artist's interpretation of a black hole's accretion disk](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry7egCCgKrm6XKurwV2wLK-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
For the 1st time, scientists accidentally measure the swirling ring around a black hole
By Harry Baker published
Researchers accidentally stumbled on a way to measure the size of the accretion disks of dust, gas and plasma that surround black holes.
![This artist conception illustrates one of the most primitive supermassive black holes known central black dot at the core of a young, star-rich galaxy.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcLapemMQzWeqceBeqiXMP-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Do black holes really suck in matter?
By Robert Lea published
Black holes can swallow matter, and they grow by accreting gas, dust and even the occasional star. But are they the vacuum-mouthed monsters they are often presented to be?
![An illustration shows a tidal disruption event, a black hole ripping apart a star and devouring it.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dW8WUHZjKY6aT3eQ7dA6WF-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Black holes keep 'burping up' stars they destroyed years earlier, and astronomers don't know why
By Robert Lea published
Years after ripping stars to shreds, 24 black holes suddenly flared up with radio waves in inexplicable 'burping' bouts. Half of all star-killing black holes may experience the same.
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