Black holes
Latest about Black Holes
![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](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8DZm8aMDQHRt26S9yhT6Yb-320-80.jpeg)
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.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/caaoc3f2LjAPvEK9iRrUd5-320-80.jpg)
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.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ETa8oDdA6sSfVXXKBeFh9c-320-80.jpg)
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.
![The black hole M87* pictured with a gigantic jet of material streaming from it.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgVxB7vX5LQ8CP2oM5rz2U-320-80.png)
Behold the first direct image of a supermassive black hole spewing a jet of particles
By Ben Turner published
The first complete image of a black hole and its jet has captured a never-before-seen view of how the cosmic monster traps and spits out matter.
![Clouds of red, yellow, green and pink gas represent X-ray radiation at the Milky Way's turbulent center](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w7F7fwcFhV5wdzCNhHZnT9-320-80.jpg)
The most elusive black holes in the universe could lurk at the Milky Way's center
By Paul Sutter published
Astronomers have a plan for using ripples in space-time to hunt for elusive intermediate-mass black holes around the Milky Way's center.
![A sharpened up image of the black hole M87*, now captured at the fullest resolution of the Event Horizon Telescope.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MXoF27JXPhGA8ag69EzENa-320-80.jpg)
First-ever close-up of a supermassive black hole sharpened to 'full resolution' by AI, and the results are stunning
By Ben Turner published
Astronomers have used machine learning to sharpen the 2019 Event Horizon Telescope image of the black hole M87*, the first direct image of a black hole ever taken.
![Two bright blue spheres representing supermassive black holes swirl amidst a cloud of blue and brown dust in the early universe](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NKo77zBpqSRwa6HeunSvoG-320-80.jpg)
NASA discovers ultra-rare 'double quasar' about to collide into an unbelievably massive black hole
By Joanna Thompson published
A rare double quasar system 10 billion light-years away could help astronomers uncover the secrets of the early universe.
![An illustration of a 'runaway black hole' zooming away from its galaxy, with a trail of stars following behind it.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uFi4zCrqtNXYjHfkfgMo9P-320-80.png)
'Runaway' black hole the size of 20 million suns caught speeding through space with a trail of newborn stars behind it
By Robert Lea last updated
Astronomers have discovered a "runaway" black hole, potentially the first observational evidence that supermassive black holes can be ejected from their host galaxies.
![An artist's illustration of a black hole.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FBpQkzaGDiXLUHfXyrqoqB-320-80.jpg)
James Webb Space Telescope discovers oldest black hole in the universe — a cosmic monster 10 million times heavier than the sun
By Ben Turner published
The James Webb Space Telescope detected what may be the oldest known black hole in the universe by deconstructing faint glimmers of light from close to the dawn of time.
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