Images: When black holes collide

If the gravitational waves from merging black holes can be detected, they provide a new way of exploring the universe, according to NASA. The mapping of the waves is equaled to the discovery of infrared light, radio waves and X-rays.

Here, two giant black holes approach each other in the galaxy cluster Abell 400. The picture was taken by an X-ray telescope and shows the multimillion degree radio jets stemming from the black holes. The holes look like white spots in the picture.