The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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This artist's impression shows the thick dust torus that
astronomers believe surrounds many supermassive
black holes and their accretion discs. When the
torus is seen edge-on as in this case, much of
the light emitted by the accretion disc is
blocked, creating a "hidden" black hole.
However, the sharp gamma-ray and X-ray eyes of Integral can peer through the
thick dust and identify the black hole within.
An Integral survey of the local universe found
few hidden black holes, implying that they must
have existed earlier (deeper) in the universe.