Gallery: The Universe's Most Extreme Black Holes
01sn-1979c-youngest-black-hole
Black holes, the great gravitational beasts left behind when stars collapse in a supernova, are some of the weirdest and most exotic objects in the universe. But even among these bizarre beasts, some black holes are weirder than others. The youngest black hole ever observed -- just 31 years old -- was announced today, but it's just the latest in a long line of black hole superlatives. Youngest -------- The 31-year-old remains of supernova SN 1979c make up the youngest known black hole. This supernova in the galaxy M100 approximately 50 million light-years from Earth, was discovered by an amateur astronomer in 1979. The star that exploded that year was just on the edge of the theoretical mass limit for forming black holes, about 20 times the mass of the sun. After the supernova, the leftover matter could either have collapsed into a black hole or an extremely dense neutron star. New observations from the [Chandra X-ray Observatory](http://chandra.harvard.edu/) seem to clinch it in favor of the black hole, astronomers announced today. As material falls in to a black hole, it heats up to millions of degrees and spews X-rays. If the object that was SN 1979c was a neutron star, the brightness of the X-rays it emits would tail off with time. But if it was a black hole, the X-rays would stay nearly as bright as the black hole gobbled new material. Observations show that SN1979c blasted out X-rays at a constant brightness level between 1995 and 2007, definitely tilting the odds in favor of a black hole -- although the object could still be a rapidly spinning neutron star with a powerful wind of high energy particles. *Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/D.Patnaude et al, Optical: ESO/VLT, Infrared: NASA/JPL/Caltech*
02v4641-sagitarii-nearest-black-hole
Nearest ------- The nearest black hole to Earth lies about 24,000 light-years away. A member of a binary system called V4641 Sagitarii, the black hole is slowly devouring its ordinary stellar companion. This black hole gave away its location when it let loose a violent outburst of X-rays in 1999. Initially, astronomers thought the pair of celestial objects was just 1,600 light-years away, but follow-up observations in 2001 showed it to be 15 times farther away. *Image: NASA/ESA/Felix Mirabel*
03ngc-300-farthest-black-hole
Farthest -------- The most distant black hole known is in the galaxy NGC 300, 6 million light-years away. Discovered in January 2010, the black hole is the first found to lurk outside the "Local Group" of galaxies to which the Milky Way belongs. Like the nearest black hole, the farthest is also feasting on a normal companion star. The black hole is also among the heaviest stellar-mass black holes ever weighed. Black holes that reside at the centers of galaxies can grow to be billions of times more massive than the sun, but the black holes that mark the end of a star's life cycle are rarely more than 20 times the sun's mass. There are only three such black holes known that weigh more than 15 solar masses. *Image: ESO/L. Calçada/M.Kornmesser*
04oj-287-biggest-black-hole
Biggest ------- The most massive black hole in the universe weighs in at 18 billion times the mass of the sun -- six times as massive as the previous record holder and as massive as a small galaxy. The monster lurks in quasar [OJ287](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OJ_287) 3.5 billion light-years away. Astronomers weighed the behemoth in 2008 by observing the orbit of a smaller black hole -- which itself weighs as much as 100 million suns -- caught in the larger black hole's gravitational field. *Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech*
05xte-j1650-500-smallest-black-hole
Smallest -------- The lightest and smallest black hole ever found is just 3.8 times the mass of our sun and only 15 miles across -- just barely longer than the island of Manhattan. Despite its diminutive size, this black hole -- called XTE J1650-500 -- is still an engine of destruction. Like many other black holes, this little monster showed itself by stealing gas from a companion star and heating it until it glowed in X-rays. The intensity of those X-rays can vary periodically, depending on the black hole's mass. Watching for those small variations allowed astronomers to take the black hole's measurements. *Image: NASA/CXC*
06spinning-black-holes
Fastest ------- Black holes don't just sit in space guzzling gas. If the star that formed the black hole was spinning rapidly, the black hole can end up spinning, too. A spinning black hole can hold the disk of matter that surrounds it closer than a black hole that sits still. The fastest-spinning black hole, called GRS 1915+105, whips around 1,000 times per second. This is almost the theoretical limit for how fast a black hole can spin, which is calculated by how fast stars can spin before they collapse. *Image: NASA/CXC/M Weiss*
The Best Ski Clothes for Staying Warm and Having Fun
From weatherproof jackets and pants to puffers, gloves, and socks, WIRED’s winter sports experts have you covered.
Chris Haslam
The Best Apple Watch Accessories
You finally caved and bought an Apple Watch. These are our favorite bands, screen protectors, and chargers to go with your new smartwatch.
Adrienne So
The Best Fitness Trackers Check Your Sleep, Heart Rate, or Even Your Blood
With almost ten years of hands-on testing, WIRED knows what separates the best fitness trackers from the rest.
Adrienne So
Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs
Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.
Julian Chokkattu
The Best Heart Rate Monitors Check Your Cardiac Health
These chest straps and watches will help you keep your finger on your pulse—and many other heart-related metrics.
Michael Sawh
The Best Podcasts for Everyone
Get your fix of tech, true crime, pop culture, or comedy with these audio adventures.
Simon Hill
The Best Game Controller for Every Kind of Player
A great gamepad instantly levels up your play. These are our top picks for Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
Brad Bourque
Our Favorite Merino Wool Clothes to Keep You Comfy in Any Weather
Merino is one of the best fabrics you can wear. We explain the different blends, what “gsm” means, and how to care for your clothes.
Scott Gilbertson
Death to Dry Skin. These Humidifiers Are Better Than Chapstick
From models for traveling to humidifiers that double as planters or air purifiers, we've tested a dozen of them.
Matthew Korfhage
The 11 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride
I tested the best electric bikes in every category, from commuters and mountain bikes to foldables and cruisers.
Adrienne So
The Best Kids' Bikes for Every Age and Size
The WIRED Reviews team has kids, and we tested all types of kids’ bikes. Here are our top picks.
Adrienne So
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)
We break down the current iPad lineup to help you figure out which of Apple’s tablets is best for you.
Luke Larsen