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. 

Everything you need to know about black holes

Latest about Black Holes

The globular star cluster Messier 4. At its center lies the intermediate size black hole.

A rare type of black hole never proven to exist could be orbiting our galaxy right now, Hubble telescope reveals

By Ben Turner published

A potential intermediate-mass black hole may be lurking in Messier 4, the nearest globular star cluster to Earth, new Hubble data reveals.

An illustration of two supermassive black holes about to collide as gravitational waves spill into space

Gravitational wave lab LIGO roars back online to detect the oldest black hole collisions ever seen

By Jonas Enander published

LIGO has been upgraded to observe gigantic black hole mergers 5 billion light-years away.

An illustration of a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy.

Strange star system may hold first evidence of an ultra-rare 'dark matter star'

By Paul Sutter published

In a distant star system, a sunlike star orbits an invisible object that may be the first example of a 'boson star' made of dark matter, new research suggests.

A purple hexon of light surrounding a fuzzy orange ring on a black background

Scientists grow swirling 'black hole rings' in the lab for the 1st time

By Harry Baker published

Scientists smashed plasma jets together to create artificial accretion disks that could help reveal how black holes grow.

An illustration of a black hole blowing material away with powerful jets

Some black holes may actually be tangles in the fabric of space-time, new research suggests

By Paul Sutter published

A new paper discusses how light interacts with theoretical objects called "topological solitons" — kinks in the fabric of space-time that look just like black holes.

An artist's impression of a black hole sucking in a cloud of hydrogen gas.

A messy black hole may have just triggered the largest explosion in the universe

By Ben Turner published

Astronomers have spotted a giant explosion releasing over 100 times more energy than the sun will release across its entire lifetime. A monster black hole is likely to blame.

Telescope observations of a 'streak of stars' rushing across the black backdrop of space

'Runaway black hole,' or sneaky galaxy in disguise? Experts are conflicted.

By Joanna Thompson published

A rogue black hole may not be to blame for a mysterious streak of stars coursing through space, a new study suggests.

Illustration of a star being 'spaghettified' by a supermassive black hole. Red blouds of material from teh star stretch and curve toward the black hole's center

Scientists discover closest star-shredding black hole to Earth ever seen

By Briley Lewis published

Astronomers comparing maps of the universe uncovered the nearest example of a black hole devouring a star ever detected.

An illustration of the quasar P172+18 as it blasts out powerful jets of matter and radiation.

The most powerful black holes in the universe may finally have an explanation

By Robert Lea published

Quasars, the most extreme phenomena in the universe, are triggered when galactic collisions deliver gas to feeding black holes, new research suggests.

An artist's illustration of a black hole swallowing a star, the event that gave rise to Scary Barbie.

Meet 'Scary Barbie,' a black hole slaughtering a star in the brightest way possible

By Ben Turner published

'Scary Barbie' is an incredibly bright cosmic object that has been burning for two years, and it has yet to sputter out.

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