a
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CLOSEST.
The nearest known black hole, called Gaia BH1, is about 1,500 light-years away.
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FARTHEST.
The most distant black hole detected, at the center of a galaxy called QSO J0313-1806, is around 13 billion light-years away.
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BIGGEST.
The most massive black hole observed, TON 618, tips the scales at 66 billion times the Sun’s mass.
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SMALLEST.
The lightest-known black hole is only 3.8 times the Sun’s mass. It’s paired up with a star.
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SPAGHETTIFICATION.
A real term that describes what happens when matter gets too close to a black hole. It’s squeezed horizontally and stretched vertically, resembling a noodle.
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SPIN.
All black holes spin. The fastest-known – named GRS 1915+105 – clocks in at over 1,000 rotations per second.
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PARTICLE ACCELERATORS.
Monster black holes at the centers of galaxies can launch particles to near light speed.
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GRAVITY'S THE SAME.
If you replaced the Sun with a black hole of the same mass, the solar system would get a lot colder, but the planets would stay in their orbits.
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STAR BOOMS.
One type of black hole is born when massive stars run out of fuel and explode in supernovae.
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NOT SO RARE.
Most Milky Way-sized galaxies have monster black holes at their centers. Our is called Sagittarius A* (pronounced ey-star), and it’s 4 million times the Sun’s mass.
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