Astronomy Picture of the Day · May 4, 2025

Spin up of a Supermassive Black Hole

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 4, 2025 is “Spin up of a Supermassive Black Hole,” an image. It is credited to Illustration Credit: Robert Hurt , NASA / JPL-Caltech. The original explanation runs about 219 words.

An artistic illustration of a black hole is shown. The black spot in the center is the black hole, while the accretion disk of gas surrounding it is shown in orange. Stars and the darkness of space is shown near the top in the background. P — Credit: Illustration Credit: Robert Hurt , NASA / JPL-Caltech Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“How fast can a black hole spin? If any object made of regular matter spins too fast — it breaks apart.”

— APOD editors, May 4, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: May 4, 2025
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Illustration Credit: Robert Hurt , NASA / JPL-Caltech
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 219 words