- Quicktime (12.5 MB)
In this simulation of two colliding black holes, two clusters of collisionless
particles (which could be stars) approach each other close to the
speed of light. Prior to collision and coalescence, each cluster undergoes
collapse to a black hole. Each black hole event horizon (surface)
is elongated due to the gravitational tidal force of the companion
black hole. The two black holes quickly merge, and the merged event
horizon, which engulfs all of the matter, soon becomes spherical and
settles down to a single, Schwarzschild black hole with nearly twice
the mass of each of the original clusters.
[Runtime: 0:12]
- MPEG (14.2 MB)
- Quicktime High Res (4.7 MB)
- Quicktime Low Res (2.4 MB)
This time lapse movie zooms into the inner region of
M82. Of particular interest is the bright source off
set from the center of the galaxy by about 600 light
years. This source is seen to increase dramatically in
intensity over a period of three months, then declines.
The peak intensity and variability, together with
short-term flickering with a period of ten minutes, are
strong evidence that the source is a black hole with
the mass of more than 500 suns.
(Credit:
NASA/SAO/CXC/D.Berry)
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