The Most Beautiful Black Hole, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the black hole you think is the most beautiful!
Updated on May 10, 2024 06:17
The intrigue of black holes stretches the boundaries of human curiosity and scientific inquiry, making the classification of their aesthetic a topic of both scientific and philosophical debate. These celestial phenomena, which usually remain hidden in plain sight, captivate the imagination and provoke questions about the universe's most mysterious corners. By ranking black holes based on their beauty, we engage in a unique blend of art and science, assessing them through the lens of their visual impact as much as their astronomical significance.
Providing a platform for communities to participate in this ranking encourages a broader engagement with astrophysics and helps to democratize the way we appreciate the cosmos. Every vote cast in favor of a black hole on this list is a testament to personal taste as well as a nod to human curiosity. This system of voting not only highlights popular favorites but also reveals lesser-known marvels, offering a fresh perspective on the cosmos' most enigmatic entities.
What Is the Most Beautiful Black Hole?
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151votesThis black hole was the first to be directly imaged, and its stunning image shows a bright ring of gas and dust swirling around the event horizon.Messier 87 black hole, also known as M87* or M87 black hole, is a supermassive black hole located in the center of the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light-years away from Earth. It is one of the most massive and studied black holes in the known universe.
- Mass: 6.5 billion times the mass of the Sun
- Event Horizon Size: about 23.6 billion kilometers in diameter
- Gravity: enormously strong, capable of capturing nearby objects
- Accretion Disk: a rotating disk of matter swirling around the black hole
- Jet: high-energy jets of particles shooting out from the vicinity of the black hole's center
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245votes
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory; Credits: NASA/CXC · Public domainCygnus X-1 black hole
Physicist Riccardo GiacconiThis black hole is one of the most studied and best-known black holes, and its location in the constellation Cygnus makes it easy to observe.The Cygnus X-1 black hole is a stellar-mass black hole located in the constellation Cygnus. It is known for being the first discovered candidate black hole and has been extensively studied since its discovery.- Mass: 8.7 times the mass of the Sun
- Distance: Approximately 6,070 light-years from Earth
- Accretion Disk: It is surrounded by a disk of hot, bright gas and dust spiraling into the black hole's gravity well.
- X-ray Emission: Cygnus X-1 emits powerful X-rays that are detectable from Earth.
- Companion Star: It orbits a massive blue supergiant star named HDE 226868.
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337votesKnown as the "Christmas Eve black hole" because it was discovered on December 24, 1994, this black hole is located in the constellation Monoceros and emits X-rays that make it visible from Earth.V616 Monocerotis, also known as V616 Mon, is a black hole located in the constellation Monoceros. It was discovered in 1972 and is considered one of the most beautiful black holes in the universe. The black hole is part of a binary system, with a massive star orbiting around it. It gained attention due to its unique properties and fascinating visuals.
- Mass: Approximately 9-13 times the mass of the Sun
- Distance: Approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth
- Size: Estimated event horizon diameter of around 24 kilometers
- Accretion Disk: Displays bright, multi-colored rings due to superheated gas swirling around the black hole
- Jet: Shows a prominent relativistic jet, emitting high-energy particles and producing a visually stunning display
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417votesThis supermassive black hole is located at the center of our Milky Way galaxy and is surrounded by a cluster of stars.The Sagittarius A* black hole is a supermassive black hole located in the center of the Milky Way galaxy. It is named after the Sagittarius constellation, as it lies in the direction of Sagittarius. This black hole has captured the attention of astronomers worldwide due to its immense size and unique characteristics.
- Mass: Approximately 4.3 million times the mass of the Sun
- Size: Estimated event horizon diameter of 22 million kilometers
- Distance: Located approximately 26,000 light-years from Earth
- Rotation: The black hole spins at a significant fraction of the speed of light
- Gravity: Its gravitational pull is incredibly strong, affecting the nearby stars and gas clouds
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516votesThis black hole is located in the constellation Scorpius and is known for its powerful X-ray emissions.GRO J1655-40 is a stellar-mass black hole located in the constellation Scorpius. It was first discovered in 1994 and has been extensively studied by astronomers since then.
- Mass: Around 6.3 times the mass of the Sun
- Distance: Approximately 3,200 parsecs (10,400 light-years) from Earth
- Black Hole Type: Stellar-mass black hole
- Accretion Disk: GRO J1655-40 is surrounded by a thin accretion disk of gas and dust.
- Disk Temperature: The accretion disk around GRO J1655-40 reaches temperatures of millions of degrees Celsius.
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620votes
NASA/CXC/Univ of Michigan/R.C.Reis et al · Public domainThis black hole is located in the constellation Leo and is known for its gravitational lensing effects, which allow astronomers to study distant galaxies.The RX J1131-1231 black hole is an extremely beautiful and intriguing astronomical object. It is a supermassive black hole located approximately 6 billion light-years away in the constellation of Leo. The black hole's beauty lies in its gravitational lensing effect, which creates a mesmerizing display of multiple images of distant galaxies behind it.- Mass: Estimated to be 6.4 billion times the mass of our Sun
- Distance: Approximately 6 billion light-years away
- Size: Believed to have a Schwarzschild radius of around 460 million kilometers
- Gravitational Lensing: Produces multiple images of background galaxies, forming an Einstein cross
- Accretion Disk: Surrounds the black hole and emits intense X-ray radiation
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79votes
Martin Hardcastle · Public domain3C 75 black hole
Abell 400 galaxy clusterThis black hole is located in the Abell 400 galaxy cluster and is known for its powerful jets of particles that are visible in radio and X-ray wavelengths.3C 75 black hole is a unique black hole system located in the center of a galaxy cluster named Abell 400. It consists of two supermassive black holes closely orbiting each other, surrounded by a swirling cloud of hot gas and emitting powerful jets of energetic particles.- Name: 3C 75 black hole
- Location: Center of Abell 400 galaxy cluster
- Type: Supermassive black hole system
- Number of black holes: 2
- Orbital relationship: Closely orbiting each other
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88votesThis black hole is located in the constellation Aquila and is known for its intense X-ray emissions and unusual behavior, which includes periodic outbursts and changes in brightness.GRS 1915+105 is a stellar black hole located in the constellation Aquila. It was discovered in 1992 and is considered one of the most beautiful black holes due to its extraordinary jet-like structures and frequent outbursts of gas and radiation.
- Mass: 14-20 times the mass of our Sun
- Distance from Earth: approximately 36,000 light-years
- Luminosity: 2.7 million times the luminosity of our Sun
- Rotation Period: approximately 33.5 seconds
- Jet Velocity: 0.92 times the speed of light
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95votesThis supermassive black hole is located in the galaxy NGC 1277 and is notable for its large size, which is estimated to be about 17 billion times the mass of the sun.NGC 1277 black hole is an intriguing astronomical object located in the constellation Perseus. It is one of the most visually striking and remarkable black holes known to scientists. With its immense size and unique properties, NGC 1277 captures the fascination of astronomers and astrophysics enthusiasts around the world.
- Mass: Equivalent to 17 billion times the mass of the Sun
- Size: Approximately 11 times the diameter of Neptune’s orbit
- Distance from Earth: Approximately 220 million light-years
- Formation: Believed to have formed through direct collapse
- Event Horizon: Extends around 17 times the size of the black hole's event horizon in the Milky Way's central region
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106votesThis intermediate-mass black hole is located in the galaxy ESO 243-49 and is notable for its unusual location outside of the galaxy's center.HLX-1 black hole, also known as ESO 243-49, is an extragalactic black hole located approximately 290 million light-years away in the constellation of Sculptor. It was discovered by an international team of astronomers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in 2009. HLX-1 is considered one of the most promising intermediate-mass black hole candidates.
- Distance: Approximately 290 million light-years
- Location: Constellation of Sculptor
- Discovery Year: 2009
- Type: Intermediate-mass black hole
- Mass: Estimated to be between 20,000 and 90,000 times the mass of our Sun
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Ranking factors for beautiful black hole
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SizeThe mass and diameter of the black hole should be considered, as larger black holes can have a more significant visual impact.
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Accretion diskThe presence and appearance of an accretion disk around a black hole can contribute to its beauty. This disk consists of gas, dust, and other matter that forms a glowing spiral around the black hole.
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Black hole jetSome black holes eject matter in high-speed jets, which can create stunning visual effects. The presence, orientation, and intensity of these jets should be considered when assessing the beauty of a black hole.
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Gravitational lensingThe way a black hole warps space-time around it can produce stunning visual effects, such as amplifying and distorting the light from background objects like galaxies and stars. The extent and prominence of these lensing effects should be taken into account.
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EnvironmentThe surroundings of a black hole, including nearby stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects, can contribute to its overall aesthetics. Consider the black hole's location in space and its interaction with the cosmic landscape around it.
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Color and brightnessThe colors and brightness of the black hole and its environment can add to the visual appeal of the black hole. This can include the colors created by the heated matter in the accretion disk and the reflected light from nearby celestial objects.
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Overall uniqueness and visual appealUltimately, the beauty of a black hole will be somewhat subjective and based on personal preferences. The combined effects of the above factors, along with any other visually striking characteristics, should be considered in the ranking process.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most beautiful black hole. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or black hole is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2201 views
- 214 votes
- 10 ranked items
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Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each black hole once every 24 hours. The rank of each black hole is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
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More information on most beautiful black hole
Black holes are one of the most fascinating and mysterious objects in the universe. They are regions in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. Black holes come in different sizes and shapes, and they are formed when massive stars die and collapse under their own gravity.
In recent years, the discovery of black holes has been a major breakthrough in space exploration. Astronomers have been able to observe and study black holes using powerful telescopes and sophisticated technologies. One of the most stunning discoveries is the existence of supermassive black holes, which can be found at the center of galaxies, including our own Milky Way.
But what makes a black hole beautiful? It may seem strange to use the word "beautiful" to describe something that is known for its destructive power. However, black holes can also be fascinating and awe-inspiring. Their gravity can bend light, create spectacular cosmic fireworks, and even influence the evolution of galaxies.
In this poll, we are asking the question: "What is the most beautiful black hole?" Whether it's the stunning visuals captured by the Hubble Space Telescope or the scientific significance of a particular black hole, we want to know which one captures the public's imagination as the most beautiful.
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