Black Holes

A black hole is a location in space that possesses so much gravity, nothing can escape its pull, even light. Learn more about what black holes are and the latest news.

Related Topics: Dark Matter, The Big Bang Theory, Gravitational Waves, The Theory of Relativity in Space 

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An artist's depiction of two black holes spiraling towards each other, about to collide.

Researchers detect 1st merger between black holes with eccentric orbits

By Samantha Mathewson published

Scientists have for the first time confirmed the merger of two highly eccentric black holes.

An artists conception comparing a normal supernova to a cow supernova.

'Cow' supernova is brightest ever seen in X-ray observations

By Tereza Pultarova published

Astronomers have spotted the brightest ever 'Ccow' supernova shining in x-rays providing evidence the mysterious phenomenon might be driven by an emerging black hole or a neutron star.

A composite image of the effects of our Milky Way galaxy's monster black hole.

The Milky Way's supermassive black hole is leaking gas

By Chelsea Gohd last updated

The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy is leaking.

Best space and astronomy books - Milky Way (Taken in Patagonia, Argentina)

Best astronomy books in 2023

By Jeff Spry last updated

A stellar collection of the best space and astronomy books for 2022.

The dwarf galaxy Mrk 462.

'Mini' monster black hole discovered hiding in a dwarf galaxy

By Chelsea Gohd published

A newly discovered "mini" supermassive black hole could help reveal some of the secrets behind the biggest black holes in the cosmos.

An artist's depiction of a black hole eating a star, also known as a tidal disruption event, and producing a superfast jet.

Supermassive black hole gobbled up a star in the 1980s, and high schoolers helped discover it

By Meghan Bartels published

Astronomers have found evidence of a black hole snacking on a star in data gathered back in the 1980s, according to new research.

Where do black holes lead to?

Where do black holes lead to?

By David Crookes, Daisy Dobrijevic published

REFERENCE If you could journey through the cosmos' most monstrous objects, what tales — if any — would you be able to tell?

Researchers have found over 75,000 of the brightest black holes.

Some black holes are anything but black – and we've found more than 75,000 of the brightest ones

By Sabine Bellstedt, Jessica Thorne published

New research has road-tested a way to spot some of the most voracious black holes of all, making it easier to find them buried deep in the hearts of distant galaxies.

An artist's impression of dark matter in the beginning of the universe.

We may finally be able to test one of Stephen Hawking's most far-out ideas

By Paul Sutter published

The recently launched James Webb Telescope should help determine if dark matter is made up of primordial black holes.

This illustration shows a black hole emitting jets of fast-moving plasma above and below it, as matter swirls around in an orbiting disk.

The 10 wildest things we learned about black holes in 2021

By Adam Mann published

A rundown of awesome results about black holes from 2021.

The black hole at the center of the Centaurus A galaxy has been imaged in unprecedented detail.

This record-breaking black hole eruption could cover 16 full moons in the sky

By Tereza Pultarova published

Astronomers have captured a detailed image of a massive eruption from the nearest feeding supermassive black hole that spans the size of 16 full moons in the sky.

A visualization of two black holes merging.

Black holes may have existed since the beginning of time (and could explain dark matter mystery)

By Tereza Pultarova published

The existence of primordial black holes in the earliest universe could explain dark matter as well as the sizes of black holes scientists can see today, a new study suggests.

An artistic visualization of AT2018cow.

Did scientists solve the mystery of the super-bright exploding 'cow' in space?

By Chelsea Gohd published

Science studying a mysterious star explosion known as "the Cow" think the blast could have created a black hole or neutron star.

Stars orbiting close to the Sagittarius A* black hole at the center of the Milky Way captured in May this year.

Astronomers peer deeper into Milky Way's heart than ever before with new telescope images

By Tereza Pultarova last updated

The deepest and sharpest images of the Milky Way's center have been obtained, enabling astronomers to estimate the mass of the black hole at the galaxy's heart with unmatched precision.

A mini-jet extends from the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

The Milky Way's supermassive black hole burps 'mini-jets,' scientists find

By Samantha Mathewson last updated

The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy periodically hiccups, burping a "mini-jet" out into space.

A recent image of the elliptical galaxy Messier 87 shows a powerful jet with a corkscrew-like helical structure. The jet extends 8,000 light-years from the black hole that lies at the center of the galaxy.

Black hole jet boasts double helix structure molded by powerful magnetic fields

By Samantha Mathewson published

An extraordinary galactic jet ejected from a supermassive black hole boasts a corkscrew-like helical structure, new ground-based telescope views reveal.

The Leo I dwarf galaxy has an enormous black hole at its center.

Giant black hole inside a tiny satellite galaxy of our Milky Way defies explanation

By Tereza Pultarova last updated

A tiny galaxy orbiting at the outskirts of the Milky Way appears to have a giant black hole at its center, comparable to that of the much larger Milky Way itself, and scientists don't know why.

A still from a simulation of a black hole eating a star.

Watch a virtual black hole rip apart 4 stars like a cosmic Hunger Games in this stunning NASA simulation

By Elizabeth Howell published

A little density is effective in fighting back.

Close-up view of the two bright galactic nuclei, each housing a supermassive black hole, in NGC 7727, a galaxy located 89 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Aquarius.

This pair of merging black holes is the closest to Earth we've ever found

By Tereza Pultarova published

A pair of supermassive black holes that will soon become one has been discovered hiding in a nearby galaxy.

A visualization of two black holes merging.

Did astronomers see the light from two black holes colliding for the first time?

By Chelsea Gohd published

Astronomers may have seen the light from two black holes smashing into one another for the first time ever.