AstroLab
Stars reveal black holes
Follow measured orbits to discover two invisible companions.
1 min 50 s · Interactive subtitled film
Takeaway: A star’s orbit allows us to estimate the mass of an invisible companion.
Useful background
Orbit, period and centre of mass.
Why does the more massive body trace the smaller orbit?
The journey · 4 chapters
- At the Milky Way’s centre
- Bent light
- A quieter companion
- Follow the orbits yourself
Why explore it?
French and English subtitles. Adjustable playback speed, free navigation and sequence reframing. AI-assisted editorial review.