Black hole - dont get suck in

This visualization simulates the appearance of a black hole as seen on its edge, where inbound matter has collected into a thin, hot structure called an accretion disk. The black hole’s extreme gravity alters the paths of light coming from different parts of the disk, making rings of matter visible above and below. At the center lies the black hole's shadow, an area roughly twice the size of the event horizon — its point of no return.

This visualization was first published in September 2019, about six months after scientists with the Event Horizon Telescope released the first actual image of a black hole and its shadow. There's plenty more for us to learn about these mystifying objects, though—join us at @NASAGoddard through May 6 as we celebrate #BlackHoleWeek!

Credit: NASA/Jeremy Schnittman

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