From real to ridiculous
Start with the real thing, then turn it into something that could never exist.
A scientifically accurate black hole
Black Hole Sandbox traces light through curved spacetime using the equations of general relativity, live on your iPhone. Light that strays too close falls into the shadow, and light that passes nearby is bent around it, so the galaxy behind stretches into arcs and a thin ring of light wraps the edge. The far side of the accretion disc even appears lifted above and below the hole. Orbit it, zoom in, and watch it happen in real time.
See it warp your living room
Tap AR and the black hole appears in front of you, just below eye level, bending your actual room around it. Walk around it and watch the walls, windows and furniture stretch and curve as you move. Drag to raise it or spin it, pinch to make it bigger, or sit it on a table and see the surface warp beneath it.
Bling it with color and texture
Real black holes are only the starting point. Pick from 37 palettes of single and dual colors, or choose your own inner and outer colors. Wrap the disc in swirls, drifting wisps, bands, clumps or cells, then break it into geometric facets that shimmer as they turn. Dial in the glow, tilt, width and spin until it looks like nothing that could exist.
Feed it your favorite emojis
Swap the accretion disc for a swarm of your favorite emojis, glowing as they orbit the shadow. Pick from the favorites or type any emoji you like, then change how big they are, how tightly they pack and how they tumble. The lensing still applies, so you'll see pizza slices and hearts bent right around the event horizon.
Send your photos into the abyss
Put one of your own photos onto the accretion disc and watch it spin around the edge of the void. Your cat, your dog, your holiday snap: it all gets stretched and bent by the same physics as the stars. Your photo stays on your device, and you can save the result as a preset.
Part of a bigger universe
Black Hole Sandbox is a small corner of a much bigger universe. The galaxy it sits in is where some big projects of ours are taking shape, with more to come.
