NASA Simulation’s Plunge Into a Black Hole: Explained

This new, immersive visualization produced on a NASA supercomputer represents a scenario where a camera - a stand-in for a daring astronaut - enters the event horizon, sealing its fate.
Goddard scientists created the visualizations on the Discover supercomputer at the NASA Center for Climate Simulation.
The destination is a supermassive black hole with 4.3 million times the mass of our Sun, equivalent to the monster located at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. To simplify the complex calculations, the black hole is not rotating.
A flat, swirling cloud of hot, glowing gas called an accretion disk surrounds the black hole and serves as a visual reference during the fall. So do glowing structures called photon rings, which form closer to the black hole from light that has orbited it one or more times. A backdrop of the starry sky as seen from Earth completes the scene.
The project generated about 10 terabytes of data - equivalent to roughly half of the estimated text content in the Library of Congress - and took about 5 days running on just 0.3% of Discover’s 129,000 processors. The same feat would take more than a decade on a typical laptop.
Read more: science.nasa.gov/supermassive...
Music credit: “Tidal Force,” Thomas Daniel Bellingham [PRS], Universal Production Music
“Memories” from Digital Juice
“Path Finder,” Eric Jacobsen [TONO] and Lorenzo Castellarin [BMI], Universal Production Music
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center /J. Schnittman and B. Powell
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Visualizer:Jeremy Schnittman (NASA/GSFC)
Science writer: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Computer support: Brian Powell (NASA/GSFC)
Editor: Scott Wiessinger (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
This video can be freely shared and downloaded at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14576. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14576. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines.
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard CZcams channel: / nasagoddard
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· Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc

[@stevebedinger6628]

I don’t get it, where’s McConaughey?

[@schnitzel2k3]

Alright alright alrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiigggghhhhhhhtttt.........

[@Kimsey47]

This comment was "Alright, alright, alright" 🤣

[@Brentolini23]

He had to be where a sack was being hackied

[@aamirrazak3467]

Or Tars? I don’t see a tesseract

[@ANelsonViolin]

He’s busy moving backwards. You know, to go forwards.

[@thez28camaroman]

If you listen closely, you can hear "Murph! Murph!!!"

[@AstrovisionsWithyuvraj]

Interstellar 😭

[@QueLastima]

Thanks for explaining that.
​@@AstrovisionsWithyuvraj

[@lockdown19]

DON'T LET ME LEAVE MURPH

[@xamxd07]

​@@AstrovisionsWithyuvrajInterstellar*

[@ChrisDatCat]

Where, when?

[@manangandhi8338]

Watching this isnt gonna cost me 51 years is it?

[@Yebotomy]

Omg I just watched interstellar with my dad ty for this comment 😭

[@KimClark-1]

Ok, I am going to watch this about 20 times. Then spend I don’t know how many years trying to really understand it. What I am amazed by is how there are people out there who really do understand it and who can build these super computers to do these simulations.

[@hnnngbrah]

this is all theory. it will change again in a few years.

[@ValidatingUsername]

It’s basically just a useless video that has no application in reality.

[@blueboy189]

​@@hnnngbrah- No it's all General Relativity. A theory thats withstood every experimental test since its discovery 100+ years ago. It won't change within 10 years.

[@LANGIMATION]

These simulations can be done much quicker nowadays compared to back when interstellar was made. This is also a much less dense simulation

[@alpha.wintermute]

@@hnnngbrahsome of these theories are so accurate they predict things we didnt know existed ( like black holes )

[@user-cf2gk6ne3f]

Now that's a view to die for. Literally

[@ni007ck4]

I see what you did there 😑

[@KCarver]

"It's full of stars."

[@user-vp9lc9up6v]

Something wonderful is going to happen

[@Raphael18]

Obecna cywilizacja upadnie,to początek.l,miejmy nadzieje ,że czegoś nowego, lepszego

[@kevinyancey958]

At least one star..... Matthew McConaughey!

[@Userfirst-mn6iy]

or T.A.R.S.

[@reoproedros]

lol , literally (in theory )

[@Sd-qf5pe]

It costed me 51 years watching this

[@MrRobertFerrell]

Would love to see it with 360° mode enabled…

[@AluminumOxide]

There’s a 360 version that’s also uploaded

[@derechos8774]

@@AluminumOxide Do you have a link?

[@codycdillon1]

It’s uploaded to zillow

[@vkobevk]

wait vr version

[@vectivus3499]

@@codycdillon1 link

[@inkthomson]

I love it when 'trippy' flicks are exactly '4:20.'
I see you, NASA... Nice play.

[@ckush928]

It's 4:19 isn't it.

[@heptadecagon]

What an extraordinary universe we live in. Beautiful, wonderful, awesome

[@angingis5922]

Majestic

[@mina-ll6ol]

Spectacular

[@GodUsopp34]

Yet horrifying.

[@aamirrazak3467]

Truly amazing and mysterious

[@R1PPA-C]

Incomprehensible !

[@dmarinon]

TARS, do you copy?

[@Krellan]

This is much more realistic than that Disney movie and that Soundgarden music video

[@Eugene-pf7ll]

😂

[@leonagraves3450]

NASA’s horror film collection.

[@RossAlexanderSmith]

This is a static blackhole. Once you get one spinning with a nicely formed ergosphere, things get real crazy

[@Valeriy7D0]

underrated comment

[@lucash8234]

Ergosphere?

[@user.-qf9tx]

RIP cameraman

[@thearchie358]

My mind trying to comprehend this: 🤯

[@tminusfivetwu]

4:20 I know that’s right. I gotta be high to even begin to think about thinking about how this works

[@caprica8]

You have just fulfilled my (and many people's) dream. Thank you 🤩🙌

[@crispy63]

Gonna have to watch this a few more times 😂

[@TheCarbonade]

Make a VR version

[@deborahamos5401]

Or just use oculus

[@Lev0t0n]

bru they made one

[@TheCarbonade]

@@Lev0t0n thought that was just a 360 vid, and not VR?

[@Hurriicane89]

Yes I absolutely have wondered that, thank you, this blows my mind

[@ruperterskin2117]

Appreciate ya. Thanks for sharing.

[@amplethought]

Thank you so much for doing this!!! It’s beautiful!!

[@commanderiosifstalin4938]

Beautiful? You don't find it horrifying?

[@adora_was_taken]

@@commanderiosifstalin4938 it can be both

[@aamirrazak3467]

This is superb thank you! I’ve always wondered about this since watching interstellar

[@krov_oseni]

Amazing! Great work!

[@aznknightz17]

This made my brain tickle. Thank you.

[@noonionsplease442]

4:20 huh? I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@dadsquatch79]

This was rad.

[@MitchKarajohn]

No, this was ard

[@Prinze203]

dar

[@dadsquatch79]

@@Prinze203 harder

[@oskarfunes2505]

1000 rads?

[@MitchKarajohn]

I was going for a "ard who?" > "godd-ard" joke 🥲

[@barryn5340]

Just added this to my bucket list!

[@Userfirst-mn6iy]

thanks, Kip

[@bird_butler]

Very amazing and beautiful video.

[@user-fw4kk1ym9y]

Mind breaking.

[@havnermuniz]

Terrific!

[@AceDetectiveKirigiri]

Watching this in VR would be fun

[@Kilson-76]

Truely terrifying

[@Tim.Wensink]

This was incredibly beautiful

[@Rmm1722]

Awesome 😎👍

[@whittadeandkendra2772]

This is amazing!

[@tabysetterstrom6061]

Lovely film. Thanks for making and sharing it ❤

[@rolandmcrae6817]

We agreed, 90%! Goodbye Dr. Brandt…

[@mcnaire2004]

Make more like this!

[@didymos32]

simply amazing 😮

[@nishantsingh7278]

Yep i definitely heard someone shouting Murph!

[@Mind_The_Science]

great info

[@truesword2020]

incredible, thank you!

[@Adam.K901]

Watching this made reflect and realize how fascinating humanity is. Even with all it’s “flaws”..

[@ThanasisLightbridge]

Amazing!! Thank you

[@kjbkix]

Need to release this for VR

[@xabiergranja]

Absolutely amazing.

[@user-qs7gk3bp1v]

Love it. Feels like after taking paracetamol for headache and fell asleep.

[@MusaMind]

So beautiful, light bends and it’s so crazy to fathom

[@Aggiebrettman]

Incredible.

[@kaijugodgaming6178]

camera man really went crazy for this one

[@dlairth]

I'll have to play this again at half speed.

[@judew.5872]

I watched again at 3/4 speed

[@marlenemariamarcos]

Very interest❤ing

[@jinto2004]

10 years back cooper shown this to world with help of Nolan😊

[@luxorion1]

Wow ! A great video, NASA .

[@lulurussell]

Amazing. Now how late exactly is Sgr A* running, cause I've been waiting at this depot for quite a while.

[@lepremierhomme913]

Camera Man Never Forget 🤝🏻

[@merion297]

Incredible simulation. 😊 🙏

[@fjallavindur]

Respect to Cameraman

[@alexbakerloo1979]

Funny how so many near death experiences involve perception of travelling through a tunnel.

[@sansoncarrasco8851]

Lo único que entiendo, es que no se nada de ciencia, pues no entiendo ese maravilloso espectaculo que nos ofrece este video

[@Dave_Kerman]

Awesome!!!

[@muratveli]

This little maneuver is going to cost us more than 51 years!

[@hamentaschen]

Dude. Trippy.

[@Ali-el3bg]

Спасибо QWERTY за ссылку 👍

[@wolfen946]

It’s insane

[@MorfoAtari]

Nice. How can I get out of this now?

[@MiniGameStudio]

So, is there an orchestra in it?

[@M00ONTAGE]

You haven’t seen interstellar?

[@STRIPESrt]

It's so unnerving lol

[@garnetember8569]

So even if you could theoretically have enough force to leave, you wouldn’t be able to cause you don’t even know which direction to go?

[@JackMack465]

Amazing...otherwise speechless.

[@aramfingal]

Perfect length for this video. Chef's kiss.

[@ahn138]

New existential crisis unlocked.

[@barbaryanneominous6437]

fulldome version, pretty please :-)

[@jkfinney14]

Would love to see this with different properties like gyroscopicity of an Osmium liquod crystal

[@MikeKollin]

This music is amazing....
Wish I could use it for my videos...

[@willy1562]

2:11 Baymax?

[@thatomofolo452]

Exquisite 😍

[@Anshukumar-ph4wj]

Mesmerizing 🤯

[@szymon4543]

Glorious

[@FreeYt2100]

*Fascinating😮*

[@valeriepanosian4571]

this is truly amazing!! Thank you NASA!

[@isaacsteuer9713]

Where’s Coop?

[@modern2k16]

So... there is no books?

[@Greybow864]

Im still looking for TARS

[@TheSly1987]

Да же удивительно, что увеличилась только яркость видимого света, а частоты не улетели в ультрафиолет и ИК обалсти спектра.

[@Rauli788]

Just wow. I might have smoked something before opening Reddit and seeing this video being featured there. Now I just cannot stop rewatching it.

[@drewfsHas5poken]

You have to leave something behind.

[@BurritoMojado]

That was awesome.

[@1701_dll]

I haven't saw "absolutely nothing". I have just saw "absolute NEVER"

[@jeffwalkerbooks]

Don’t leave me Mervvvv!

[@noname-zf1rh]

Will you make a VR version?❤

[@user-bt6su5nq9t]

どんなホラー映像よりもゾクゾクするけど、どんな冒険譚よりもワクワクする

[@dfghfefes]

Americans know how to make films. It remains to understand whether to believe it or not.

[@fvideos3495]

Beautiful

[@nourse]

NASA first horror movie 😁

[@keniti109]

すげぇ…

[@DanielParejo90]

I started watching it in 2024... is now 2075... but it lasted only 4min.