[WATCH] NASA Unveils What It Looks Like to Fall Into a Black Hole

NASA has revealed a breathtaking and daunting visualization that offers a firsthand journey toward a supermassive black hole, highlighting the intricate effects of general relativity.

Astrophysicist Jeremy Schnittman from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center crafted this simulation, simulating the experience of approaching and crossing the event horizon of a colossal black hole.

Supermassive Black Hole Simulation

Through these visualizations, Schnittman aims to bridge the gap between theoretical aspects of relativity and observable consequences in the cosmos.

He designed two scenarios: one where a simulated camera narrowly skirts past the event horizon before flinging back out and another where the camera ventures beyond this boundary, sealing its fate within the gravitational clutches of the black hole.

This dynamic simulation includes explainer videos as detailed guides, highlighting phenomena dictated by Einstein's general theory of relativity. Additionally, the visualizations are presented as 360-degree videos and flat all-sky maps for broader accessibility.

Schnittman worked with scientist Brian Powell, using NASA's Discover supercomputer at the Center for Climate Simulation to achieve this project. This effort generated ten terabytes of data in just five days, a remarkable feat compared to the years it would take on a conventional laptop.

The visualization focuses on a supermassive black hole, 4.3 million times the mass of our Sun, mirroring the one in the Milky Way.

The simulated event horizon spans an awe-inspiring distance of approximately 16 million miles (25 million kilometers), encircled by a flat, swirling accretion disk comprising hot, luminous gas.

As the camera nears the black hole at velocities approaching the speed of light, the luminosity from the accretion disk and background intensifies due to relativistic beaming.

The simulation starts with the camera positioned around 400 million miles (640 million kilometers) away, zooming in until the black hole dominates the view. The visual elements undergo progressive distortion as the camera descends, forming multiple images due to warped space-time.

The camera takes approximately 3 hours to reach the event horizon in real-time, showcasing nearly two complete 30-minute orbits en route.

However, from an external observer's perspective, the camera never truly reaches this critical boundary. As space-time becomes increasingly distorted, the camera's image would appear to slow down and freeze just shy of crossing it.

The Event Horizon

At the event horizon, both the camera and reality are drawn toward the center of the black hole - a singularity where conventional physical laws cease to apply.

Schnittman highlights the phenomenon of spaghettification that occurs once the camera breaches the event horizon. Within just 12.8 seconds of crossing this boundary, the camera is propelled 79,500 miles (128,000 kilometers) towards the singularity.

In a different scenario, the camera orbits close to the event horizon but avoids crossing it, thus eluding the gravitational grip of the black hole.

According to NASA, an astronaut who embarks on this journey would encounter profound time dilation effects.

"This situation can be even more extreme," Schnittman said in an official statement. "If the black hole were rapidly rotating, like the one shown in the 2014 movie 'Interstellar,' she would return many years younger than her shipmates."