Take a mind-blowing voyage to the most powerful and mysterious objects in the universe. (Aired January 10, 2018) Official Website: https://to.pbs.org/3P9TdDL | #novapbs Black holes are the most enigmatic and exotic objects in the universe. They’re also the most powerful, with gravity so strong it can trap light. And they’re destructive, swallowing entire planets, even giant stars. Anything that falls into them vanishes…gone forever. Now, astrophysicists are realizing that black holes may be essential to how our universe evolved—their influence possibly leading to life on Earth and, ultimately, us. In this two-hour special, astrophysicist and author Janna Levin takes viewers on a journey to the frontiers of black hole science. Along the way, we meet leading astronomers and physicists on the verge of finding new answers to provocative questions about these shadowy monsters: Where do they come from? What’s inside? What happens if you fall into one? And what can they tell us about the nature of space, time, and gravity? Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:10:23 What Is A Black Hole? 00:18:45 How Does A Black Hole Form? 00:24:40 What Would Happen If You Traveled Into A Black Hole? 00:29:58 The First Detection of A Black Hole: Cygnus X-1 00:50:47 The Relationship of Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxies 01:12:21 How Do Black Holes Grow? 01:30:56 New Technologies Giving New View of Black Holes 01:50:02 Conclusion © 2018 WGBH Educational Foundation All rights reserved This program was produced by GBH, which is solely responsible for its content. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate/ Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA's newsletter here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newsletter/ FOLLOW US: NOVA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/novaonline Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NOVApbs Twitter: https://twitter.com/novapbs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novapbs/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@novapbs PBS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBS/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PBS/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/PBS/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbs Shop: https://shop.pbs.org/ #blackhole #spacedocumentary #supernova #blackholemysteries #blackholetv #blackholemysteries #astrophysics #astrophysicist #astronomy #physics #einstein #gravity #eventhorizontelescope #galaxy #jameswebbspacetelescope #ligonierministries What is a black hole, what is inside a black hole, gravitational field, star life cycle, death of a star, cygnus x-1, quasar, what is a quasar, supermassive black hole facing earth, milky way galaxy supermassive black hole, supermassive black hole earth, event horizon black hole, LIGO
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I wish I could watch this for the first time over and over again.
This is best universe documentary ever, since I found this documentary about 1 year ago, I have seen this almost every night as I go to sleep. I just can’t get enough of it.
I've seen a few comments here about how much they love these videos for falling asleep- and that is so valid! No judgement! But I just wanted to let the creator know that I watch these when I'm wide awake and want to learn. I'll often even rewind sections so I can hear a fascinating fact again! Really appreciate all this excellent work.
This documentary is truly mind-blowing — it explores the mystery of black holes in such a powerful way, reminding us how incredible and limitless the universe really is.
Absolutely mind-blowing documentary! NOVA continues to make complex astrophysics accessible and fascinating. The visualization of spacetime curvature was incredible. Can't wait for more black hole discoveries from James Webb! 🚀
The universe is the greatest mystery of all, and I love learning more about it here. 🚀
You knocked it out of the park with this one!
What really strikes me is how quickly our understanding of the universe is moving forward. In just a few years, we’ve gone from detecting gravitational waves to deploying the James Webb Telescope and seeing the first real image of a black hole. That pace is astonishing. At the same time, what makes this even more special is how programs like NOVA make such complex ideas accessible. Turning billion-year cosmic events into something we can actually understand — and enjoy — is no small achievement. It genuinely feels like we’re living in a golden age of astronomy, where curiosity, technology, and great science communication all come together.
What really got me is how black holes went from “pure math” to something we can literally hear through gravitational waves. It’s fascinating, but I still wonder how much of their role in shaping galaxies is proven versus inferred. Are black holes truly architects of cosmic structure, or just powerful byproducts of it? Curious what others think.
I can’t believe how helpful this was, amazing job!
It's amazing how far humans have come in just the last few decades to understand the universe and the tools we create to discover them.
Possibly the greatest film I've ever seen, will watch again.
This documentary never gets old—every time I watch it, black holes feel even more terrifying and beautiful at the same time. NOVA does an amazing job turning mind-bending science into something you can actually feel and understand.
It’s a long video, but totally worth it — covers the topic perfectly.
Space isn’t just science — it’s the universe reminding us how tiny and incredible we are at the same time. Videos like this always pull me deeper. I’ve been exploring cosmic stories lately, and some of them blew my mind…”
thats what i need to get a sleep ! 10 min content stretched to 2 hours .. Awesome <3 thanks
As a kid growing up in early 80s my grandma introduced me to NOVA..I set my clock to Tuesday at 800pm..Nova and Carl Sagan the best ever
The clarity is amazing.
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen!
This hostess. I feel like I'm watching a children's show 9:53 today... We know more about black holes than ever before. Oh really, I was under the impression we knew more years ago and our knowledge has been slowly slipping away