# Black Hole Vision > Simulates black hole lensing effects on live camera feeds for educational purposes. (iPhone/iPad app by Alexandru Lupsasca.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-hole-vision/id6737292448 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Alexandru Lupsasca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775800348) - Category: Education, Photo & Video - Price: Free - Rating: 4.73/5 from 15 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.5 · 64 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2024-10-30 - Data updated: 2026-09-04 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-hole-vision/id6737292448/reviews.md ## What is Black Hole Vision? What would the world around you look like if you were staring at a black hole? This application places a black hole in the field of view of your iPhone’s camera and gravitationally "lenses" the resulting live video feeds just as a black hole would warp the light from surrounding stars. The resulting "Black Hole Vision" reveals interesting features of black hole lensing, including a "photon ring" of strongly lensed images around the black hole. The measurement of this photon ring will be the target of future astronomical observations from space with the Black Hole Explorer: an orbit satellite that will take the sharpest images in the history of astronomy! To learn more about BHEX, head over to https://www.blackholeexplorer.org/. The code is open source and freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/graveltr/BlackHoleVision, along with documentation that explains the underlying black hole lensing equations and how they are implemented in Black Hole Vision. The code was written at Vanderbilt University by Trevor Gravely with input from Dr. Roman Berens and Prof. Alex Lupsasca. We also acknowledge Dominic Chang for useful input and comments. This project was supported by CAREER award PHY-2340457 and grant AST-2307888 from the National Science Foundation. The lensed image of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 was generated using material produced by NASA and STScI and can be found here: https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2006/10/1865-Image.html?news=true. License: This app includes a port of the GNU Scientific Library's (GSL) implementation of Jacobi elliptic functions and the elliptic integrals to Metal. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0). You can view the full license and obtain a copy of the source code at: https://github.com/graveltr/BlackHoleVision. ## Key features - Live camera feed simulation - Black hole lensing effect - Photon ring visualization - Open-source code available - Educational insights into astrophysics ## Recent user reviews (2 of 2) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-hole-vision/id6737292448/reviews.md ### 5/5 — AAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHGGGGGGG *2025-09-20* Please 🙏🥺fix this bug the first time I tapped on it to play it immediately sent me out of the game please fix this bug and please respond if you do ### 5/5 — Really cool app *2024-11-20* Does exactly what it says it does. Really fun for making funny photos but also educational. ## Frequently asked questions about Black Hole Vision ### What is Black Hole Vision? Black Hole Vision is an educational application that simulates the visual effects of a black hole on your iPhone's camera feed. It demonstrates how a black hole's gravity would bend light, creating phenomena like a photon ring. ### How does Black Hole Vision work? The app places a virtual black hole in your camera's view and applies gravitational lensing equations to warp the live video feed. This provides a visual representation of how light from surrounding objects would be distorted. ### Is Black Hole Vision free to use? Yes, Black Hole Vision is completely free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees associated with the application. ### What devices does Black Hole Vision support? Black Hole Vision is currently supported on iPhones. The application's features are optimized for the iOS mobile operating system. ### Where can I find the source code for Black Hole Vision? The application's code is open source and available on GitHub. You can find it at https://github.com/graveltr/BlackHoleVision, along with documentation explaining the lensing equations. ### What is the age rating for Black Hole Vision? Black Hole Vision has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for children and adults alike, offering educational content in an accessible format. ### How often is Black Hole Vision updated? The latest version of Black Hole Vision is 2.1, which was last updated on November 25, 2024. Updates typically include improvements to features and bug fixes. ### Does Black Hole Vision have ads? No, Black Hole Vision does not contain any advertisements. The app is ad-free, allowing for an uninterrupted educational experience. ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 2.1 — 2024-11-25 New features in this version: (1) Ability to take screenshots (2) Added a description of the functionality (3) Ability to hide the picture-in-picture video feeds ### 2.0 — 2024-11-16 Version 2.0 now includes a rotating (Kerr) black hole. The user can also change the value of the spin of the rotating black hole. ### 1.0 — 2024-10-30 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Black Hole Vision | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Planets AR - Our Solar System](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-our-solar-system/id6483760783) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Education | | [ARPlanets 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arplanets-2/id1387711637) | 3.3 (15) | Free | Education | | [Gravity!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gravity/id738871919) | 3.9 (18) | Free | Education | | [Galaxy Map](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galaxy-map/id1170905456) | 4.6 (591) | Free | Education | | [GalacticAR: Space Sim & Quiz](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/galacticar-space-sim-and-quiz/id1666796447) | 4.5 (102) | Free | Education | | [Black hole finder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-hole-finder/id6446029571) | 4.1 (7) | Free | Education | ## Related topics [gravlens3](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gravlens3) · [black hole cutter](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/black-hole-cutter) · [black hole simulator](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/black-hole-simulator) · [black hole download](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/black-hole-download) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-04.*