Simulation of a Supermassive Black Hole

10 April, 2019 / Read time: 1 minute

In anticipation of the first image of a black hole, Jordy Davelaar and colleagues built a virtual reality simulation of one of these fascinating astrophysical objects. Their simulation shows a black hole surrounded by luminous matter. This matter disappears into the black hole in a vortex-like way, and the extreme conditions cause it to become a glowing plasma. The light emitted is then deflected and deformed by the powerful gravity of the black hole.

Credit:Jordy Davelaar et al./Radboud University/BlackHoleCam