black holes

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white dwarfswhite dwarfs
+2+2
A white dwarf may have been torn to shreds by a black hole

A white dwarf may have been torn to shreds by a black hole

Just writing that sentence made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
asteroidsasteroids
+6+6
A black hole is eating way above its weight, and ancient tektites in Australia
Premium

A black hole is eating way above its weight, and ancient tektites in Australia

Something is helping this black hole gobble down material at incredible rates

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
dustdust
+6+6
Little Red Dots at the edge of the universe may be black holes powering gigantic balls of gas

Little Red Dots at the edge of the universe may be black holes powering gigantic balls of gas

These “Black Hole Stars” are theoretical, but do explain what we see

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
black holesblack holes
+1+1
What is twisting up this blazar’s immensely powerful death ray?
Premium

What is twisting up this blazar’s immensely powerful death ray?

There’s a lot going on with OJ287.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
PoliticsPolitics
+4+4
Did a smaller but still giant black hole recently merge with the one at the center of our galaxy?

Did a smaller but still giant black hole recently merge with the one at the center of our galaxy?

Also: RFK Jr. needs to be impeached

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+3+3
A star may have exploded when it ate a black hole
Premium

A star may have exploded when it ate a black hole

Everything about this story is awesome and terrifying

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
exoplanetsexoplanets
+2+2
Puffy exoplanets are cool, and that’s a problem

Puffy exoplanets are cool, and that’s a problem

Two extra-inflated gas giants are defying explanation. Plus my book in Chinese, and why are supermassive black holes so big so early?

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
+6+6
An incredible JWST image of an immense city of galaxies

An incredible JWST image of an immense city of galaxies

Abell S1063 is a jaw-dropping example of the power of the big telescope

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+3+3
What triggers lightning? Exploding stars.

What triggers lightning? Exploding stars.

And also black holes. Yes, seriously.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
galaxy clustersgalaxy clusters
+4+4
A SUPER supermassive black hole

A SUPER supermassive black hole

The central black hole in the galaxy Holmberg 15A is very, very beefy

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
cosmologycosmology
+5+5
The Owl Galaxies are hiding a secret in plain sight. But what is it?

The Owl Galaxies are hiding a secret in plain sight. But what is it?

It might be a supermassive black hole, or it might be a bazillion newborn stars

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+2+2
The biggest black hole merger ever detected so far rocked the Universe

The biggest black hole merger ever detected so far rocked the Universe

The gravitational waves they emitted were fiercely powerful, but where did the black holes come from?

Philip Plait
Philip Plait