Astro Snack: Black Holes

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: California Institute of Technology/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

 

Written by Claire Blome

Design by Joseph Olmsted

Editorial and design input from Dr. Christopher T. Britt, Dr. Quyen Hart, Timothy Rhue II
Voiceover by Yesenia Perez, Joseph Depasquale

Music (“Snack Time”) by Joseph Depasquale

(DESCRIPTION)

Avocado astronaut.

 

(SPEECH)

Astro Snack. Black Holes.

 

[MUSIC]

 

Like this ball of rice, black holes form after matter is smashed by gravity into a tight space.

 

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC]

 

(DESCRIPTION)

Wooden hammers smash a cartoon ball of rice.

 

(SPEECH)

Hi! I'm Mochi!

 

Once a black hole has formed--

 

Wow!

 

It has the same mass it had before.

 

So small!

 

But in a much, much smaller space. When dust, particles, and light flow nearer and nearer to a black hole, they can become trapped-- forever.

 

(DESCRIPTION)

Particles fall onto the ball of rice.

 

(SPEECH)

More dust, please!

 

[STATIC]

 

Not even light can escape.

 

I'm fine!

 

I'm fine too!

 

But don't worry. Objects have to be very, very close to fall into a black hole.

 

(DESCRIPTION)

A long, wiggly string is sucked into the black hole.

 

(SPEECH)

[MUSIC]

 

(DESCRIPTION)

The black hole recedes. Astronaut avocado slides past.