black

Where do black holes lead to?

by

So there you are, about to leap into a black hole. What could possibly await should — against all odds — you somehow survive? Where would you end up and what tantalizing tales would you be able to regale if you managed to clamber your way back? The simple answer to all of these questions … Read more

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

by

Researchers have found over 75,000 of the brightest black holes. (Image credit: ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (Submillimetre); NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray), CC BY-SA) This article was originally published at The Conversation. When the most massive stars die, they collapse to form some of the densest objects known in the Universe: black holes. They are the … Read more

The Tiny Dots in This Image Aren’t Stars or Galaxies. They’re Black Holes

by

The image above may look like a fairly normal picture of the night sky, but what you’re looking at is a lot more special than just glittering stars. Each of those white dots is an active supermassive black hole.   And each of those black holes is devouring material at the heart of a galaxy … Read more

After Surgery, Black Children Are More Likely to Die Than White Children

by

Editor’s Note (12/21/21): This article is being showcased in a special collection about equity in health care that was made possible by the support of Takeda Pharmaceuticals. The article was published independently and without sponsorship. Studies have repeatedly shown that Black patients’ experiences with the U.S. health care system are worse than those of white … Read more

The 10 wildest things we learned about black holes in 2021

by

Scientists who study black holes can rest assured that their field will deliver astounding and mind-bending findings, year after year. And 2021 was no exception, with many exciting new results regarding these strange gravitational beasts. Here, we take a look at this year’s most captivating black hole discoveries and how they’ve advanced our understanding of … Read more

Astronomers See Black Hole Jets Blaze 16x Wider Than The Full Moon in Our Sky

by

Astronomers have captured a breathtaking radio wave image, showing our closest radio active black hole spewing out massive jets of plasma that span more than 16 times the size of the full moon in our sky.   The supermassive black hole in question is located in the center of the galaxy Centaurus A around 12 … Read more

Indestructible ‘Black Box’ will record our planet’s demise in minute detail

by

Every commercial flight you have ever taken has been recorded. Every tug on the yoke and every adjustment of the throttle has been dutifully logged by a little recording device tucked away in the tail of the aircraft. It’s the infamous “black box” that search and rescue crews scan the crash site for any time … Read more

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

by

Astronomers have produced 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. The image, capturing radio emissions of material ejected by the black hole at nearly the speed of light, shows gigantic lobes of plasma spreading more than a … Read more

Here’s How Much Exercise Works Best For Controlling Your Blood Pressure

by

When it comes to exercise for heart health, you don’t want to peak too early in life. Recent research suggests that if you want to protect yourself against high blood pressure as you age, you need to play the long game and keep your exercise levels up through middle age.   But social factors can … Read more

Secrets of Ultrarare Black Tigers Revealed

by

Tigers can indeed change their stripes—and in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in India, many have done just that. So-called black tigers, genetic mutants that sport unusually wide and merged stripes, were extremely rare even when tigers were plentiful centuries ago. But in Similipal today, one in three are black. A new study in the Proceedings … Read more