The Black Hole Lab

A hands-on space exhibit

The Guided Journey

Six stops. By the end, you'll know exactly what you're looking at.

These change the real physics of the picture. Play!

Black hole spin

Faster spin lets the glowing gas crowd in closer to the edge.

Disk heat

Hotter gas glows whiter and bluer — just like a candle flame's hottest part.

Disk speed

How fast the gas whirls around. Watch the bright side get boostier.

Camera distance

You can also scroll or pinch to zoom.

Show light paths — watch light bend!

Turn OFF gravity — what you'd see if light only flew straight

Slow auto-orbit camera

💡 Click on the picture! Click the dark middle, the golden ring around it, or the glowing disk, and I'll tell you what that part is.

Four quick questions, then three real missions in the simulator.

All true. Space is weirder than movies.

Every science word on this page, translated into plain language.