<p>The image is about a merger of two black holes, before the actual merger takes place.
The two largest of the dark regions are slightly distorted images of two the black holes. Distortion is due to light being bended asymmetrically by the combined gravity of the two black holes.</p>

<p>The two smaller dark areas show the respective other black hole in a strongly distorted version, since the light - or missing light - of the other black hole is bended around the respective less distorted appearing black hole by about 180 degrees, somewhat similar to an arrangement of uneven mirrors.</p>

<p>You may interprete the phenomenon of the smaller dark areas as an extreme version of <a href="http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/science_year_in_review/pdf/2006/einstein_rings_natures_gravitational_lenses.pdf" rel="nofollow">Einstein rings</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-06T19:50:33.563Z
2015-12-07T22:45:08.577Z
2015-12-07T22:45:08.577Z
Gerald
<p>Please see this image:</p>

<p><img src="https://astrobites.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/fig1.png" alt=""></p>

<p>I wonder two things about these black holes. The first is, what are the oblong, smaller black hole-looking voids outside the perimeter of the major black holes? Also, why are these black holes not entirely circular, given that their mass is concentrated in a point?  Is this just visual distortion?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-06T09:39:57.257Z
Is there any information on the source of your picture?  Any caption?
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-06T10:37:09.100Z
@userLTK - Here is the original page: http://astrobites.org/2014/11/04/what-would-a-binary-black-hole-merger-look-like/
Ken - Enough about Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-06T14:18:16.407Z
Thanks for the edit but, why did you edit out the double-spaces between sentences?  Double-spaces are how it's done in typed English...
Ken - Enough about Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-07T22:42:48.493Z
There is a [third way](https://xkcd.com/1285/)
James K
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-07T23:36:39.803Z
@JamesKilfiger - Funny :)  But was spacing worth an edit?
Ken - Enough about Monica
<black-hole>
Two black holes photo interpretation
Ken - Enough about Monica
# Two black holes photo interpretation

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-06)

Please see this image:

![](https://astrobites.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/fig1.png)

I wonder two things about these black holes. The first is, what are the oblong, smaller black hole-looking voids outside the perimeter of the major black holes? Also, why are these black holes not entirely circular, given that their mass is concentrated in a point? Is this just visual distortion?

**Tags:** black-hole

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Is there any information on the source of your picture?  Any caption?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 - Here is the original page: http://astrobites.org/2014/11/04/what-would-a-binary-black-hole-merger-look-like/  
> **username_0**: Thanks for the edit but, why did you edit out the double-spaces between sentences?  Double-spaces are how it's done in typed English...  
> **username_2**: There is a [third way](https://xkcd.com/1285/)  
> **username_0**: @JamesKilfiger - Funny :)  But was spacing worth an edit?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-12-06. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

The image is about a merger of two black holes, before the actual merger takes place.
The two largest of the dark regions are slightly distorted images of two the black holes. Distortion is due to light being bended asymmetrically by the combined gravity of the two black holes.

The two smaller dark areas show the respective other black hole in a strongly distorted version, since the light - or missing light - of the other black hole is bended around the respective less distorted appearing black hole by about 180 degrees, somewhat similar to an arrangement of uneven mirrors.

You may interprete the phenomenon of the smaller dark areas as an extreme version of [Einstein rings](http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/science_year_in_review/pdf/2006/einstein_rings_natures_gravitational_lenses.pdf).


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