July 3, 2013

Video: Orbiting a Black Hole

If you were to orbit a black hole the sights you would see would be strange, to say the least.

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

The gravity of a black hole could significantly affect the way that light travels, so if you were to orbit a black hole the sights you would see would be strange, to say the least. That is exactly what the computer-generated video below intends to convey.

Stars passing directly behind the black hole appear to be rapidly moving near the circle known as the Einstein ring.

Watch here:

Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Nemiroff (MTU)

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A wooden sign indicating "assisted migration rep 2" in a pine forest under a clear blue sky.

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Historical map illustration depicting a planned city layout with a circular central area and radiating streets.

Strange Maps

Ohio’s Circleville ditched the grid system. Then it got squared.

A small Ohio town tried to escape America’s addiction to rectangular grids. It didn’t last long.

Bullet Cluster separation mass gravity x-ray lensing

Starts With A Bang

Flagship NASA space telescope faces a penny-pinching death

NASA’s only flagship X-ray telescope ever, Chandra, still works and has no planned successor. So why does the President want to kill it?

Up Next

This is the Worst Meal in America

Long John Silver’s “Big Catch” meal contains 33 grams of trans fat.