M106: A supermassive black hole in the constellation Canes Venatici.

In the early 1940s, astronomer Carl Seyfert discovered that some spiral galaxies are different from the others. Their cores are much brighter, and they are populated by hot, glowing clouds of hydrogen, helium, and other elements. A great power source inhabited the cores of these galaxies, but with the technology of the day, Seyfert and other astronomers couldn't determine what it was. Today, as... More »

Chomp!

NASA - May 3, 2012

Small and Distant

Royal Astronomical Society - March 27, 2012

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Video: Stranger Than Fiction

The concept of black holes has intrigued scientists for hundreds of years. For an introduction to the topic, watch "Black Holes: Stranger than Fiction," the latest video from the Texas Cosmology Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Pop Culture

Check out our selection of some of the best — and worst — roles played by black holes in movies, TV shows, books, and music. More »

The Hole Story

Black holes are one of the busiest research topics in all of astronomy. Learn more about this cutting-edge research and get a peek at the backgrounds of some of the world's top black-hole researchers. More »

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