Thursday, 11 December 2014

9 Incredible Black Holes You Need To Visit Before You Die

Just don’t get too close, or you’ll be spaghettified and die before you get to visit the rest.


The supermassive black hole in the centre of this ultra-dense galaxy.


The supermassive black hole in the centre of this ultra-dense galaxy.


If you're after stars, ultra-dense galaxy M60-UCD1 54 million light years away is the perfect destination. Its supermassive black hole, which weighs the same as 21 million suns, is the cherry on the top – warping the stars behind it and appearing as a silhouette on the starry sky.


NASA, ESA, and D. Coe and G. Bacon (STScI) / Via hubblesite.org


This black hole in binary system 4U1630-47.


This black hole in binary system 4U1630-47.


If you're a star in a binary system and your companion just turned into a black hole, start worrying. The black hole's gravity is about to pull you apart and turn you into a disk with a temperature so high that you'll emit x-rays and two powerful jets of particles.


On the plus side, if you're a tourist and keep a safe distance, it makes a great show.


ESA/ATG medialab / Via esa.int


This supermassive black hole surrounded by dust.


This supermassive black hole surrounded by dust.


Spinning black holes gather up dust and debris just like tornados do, but on a cosmic scale. At least 30 of these powerful, partially dust-obscured black holes were found in a deep sky survey called GOODS (Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey) fields in 2004. With so many to choose, there's something to suit all budgets.


ESA/NASA, the AVO project and Paolo Padovani / Via spacetelescope.org


This black hole in a spiral galaxy 500 million light years away.


This black hole in a spiral galaxy 500 million light years away.


Yes, 500 million light years is a bit of a trek. But black hole NLS1 PG1244+026 taught astronomers about measuring how black holes spin, so if you're a history buff it's definitely worth the trip.


NASA/JPL-Caltech / Via stfc.ac.uk




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