Black Holes, Exotic Stars The Astronomical Art of Don Dixon

026-Algol Variable Star

[026] Algol System —
This illustration depicts a close binary star system undergoing stellar mass transfer. A larger, cooler orange subgiant fills its Roche lobe, shedding gas that forms an accretion disk around a more massive, blue-white main sequence star. A foreground irregular asteroid or planetesimal provides a perspective of the orbital plane, while a distant third stellar component is visible in the background.
Oil on masonite, 18x24 inches, 1974. artwork © Don Dixon/cosmographica.com

030-Crab-Pulsar

[030] Crab Pulsar —
This illustration represents a pulsar, the rapidly rotating neutron star at the center of the Crab Nebula. The scene visualizes the intense magnetic field lines emerging from the stellar remnant, with relativistic particles tracing complex paths along the magnetosphere. A surrounding shell of ionized gas suggests the pulsar wind nebula environment created by the energetic emission of the central object.. Oil on masonite, 1974. artwork © 2007 Don Dixon/cosmographica.com

059-Cygnus-X-1 Black Hole

[059] Cygnus X-1 — This astronomical painting illustrates the Cygnus X-1 high-mass X-ray binary system, featuring a blue supergiant star (HDE 226868) undergoing Roche lobe overflow. Stellar material is being pulled toward a black hole, forming a glowing accretion disk that spirals toward the event horizon against a dense star field background.; gouache on illustration board, 1975. © Don Dixon

092-White-Dwarf-Star

[092] White Dwarf Star — the sun's ultimate fate, a shrunken, blue-white cinder that sheds little light on its devastated planets ;This astronomical painting depicts a planetary surface under the illumination of a white dwarf star. The foreground features a rugged, mountainous landscape with small figures for scale, while the distant terrain is characterized by stratified, eroded geological layers under a dark, star-studded sky. acrylic on board, 1981

130-Contact-Binary

[130] Contact Binary — the companions forming the binary star Algol exchange gases in a complex manner, This astronomical illustration represents a contact binary star system undergoing significant mass transfer and accretion. The scene depicts a primary and secondary star within a shared envelope, surrounded by a complex disk of circumstellar material, with a textured asteroid visible in the upper-left quadrant against a dense field of stars.cover for Science Digest ; acrylic on board, 1981

131-Black-Hole

[131] Black Hole — This astronomical painting illustrates a high-mass X-ray binary system where a blue giant star is losing mass to a black hole. The stellar material is pulled away in a visible stream, spiraling into a luminous red accretion disk that surrounds the gravitational singularity against a dark star field. ; acrylic, 1980; © Don Dixon

168-Maelstrom-2

[168] Maelstrom II — This illustration by Don Dixon depicts a chaotic primordial solar system or protoplanetary disk. The scene features numerous rocky planetesimals and asteroids amid turbulent nebulous gases, with prominent electrical discharges or "lightning" occurring within the high-energy environment of the forming planetary system. acrylic and gouache, 1984

169-Black-Hole-2

[169] Black Hole II — This illustration by Don Dixon depicts a high-mass X-ray binary system featuring a red giant star undergoing Roche lobe overflow. Stellar plasma is being stripped from the primary star and channeled into a vast, glowing accretion disk surrounding a central black hole, demonstrating complex orbital dynamics and mass transfer.gas is compressed to x-ray incandescence as it impacts the accretion disk of a black hole; acrylic and gouache on illustration board, 1987; copyright Don Dixon

270-Flare-Star-1

[270] Flare Star — This illustration by Don Dixon depicts a flare star, a variable star that undergoes dramatic increases in brightness due to intense magnetic activity. The foreground showcases a roiling, textured stellar surface in deep reds and pinks, while bright white flare events erupt from the photosphere. Above these eruptions, massive coronal streamers—representing ionized gas guided by looping magnetic field lines—extend into the dark vacuum of space, set against a backdrop of distant stars. Originally commissioned as background detail for a Del Rey Books cover painting, this 1990 acrylic on canvas was later prominently featured as a promotional poster for the 1994 computer game Marathon by Bungie Software.

276-Heart-Of-The-Quasar

[276] Heart of the Quasar — An illustration by Don Dixon depicting the core of a quasar, featuring a supermassive black hole at the center of an active galactic nucleus. The scene illustrates the dynamics of a massive accretion disk where gas and dust spiral inward, becoming superheated and emitting intense radiation before reaching the event horizon. Perpendicular to the disk, a high-energy relativistic jet of ionized matter is being ejected into intergalactic space at near-light speeds. This traditional acrylic on board painting was created in 1988 and has been published in various astronomical journals and textbooks to visualize the Unified Model of Active Galactic Nuclei.

334-Algol-Binary

[334] Algol Binary — An illustration by Don Dixon depicting the Algol binary star system, demonstrating the process of Roche lobe overflow and active mass transfer. A cooler, orange-hued subgiant star is shown losing outer layers of gas to a more massive, blue-white main sequence companion through a concentrated stream. The captured material forms an uneven accretion disk around the primary star, while magnetic activity is indicated by darkened starspots on the donor star's surface. This digital illustration was created in 2004 for use in astrophysical journals and educational textbooks to explain the Algol paradox. interior Sky and Telescope - painting by Don Dixon

363-Gamma-Burster

[363] Gamma Burster — An illustration by Don Dixon representing a gamma-ray burster, specifically the collision of two neutron stars. The scene depicts a rotating, highly distorted stellar core undergoing gravitational collapse, with incandescent filaments of plasma and intense magnetic field lines visible against a dark photosphere. High-energy particles and radiation are shown beginning to channel into polar jets, characteristic of a hypernova event. This digital illustration was produced in 2006 and has been featured in scientific periodicals to visualize the collapsar model of long-duration gamma-ray bursts.

379-Gravity-Mind

[379] Gravity Mind — A vast cosmic mind composed of organized black holes in the far distant future - painting by Don Dixon for Odyssey Magazine, digital, 1998

398-Trinary-Black-Hole.jpg

[398] Trinary Black Hole — A black hole rips apart two companion stars in this private commission. The cores of two red giant stars spiral toward destruction. Sputtering explosions of infalling gas are blasted into space as the three objects dance around their ever-shifting center of mass. The painting was created with acrylic and oil glazes on a 4'x6' canvas.

402-Magnetar-B

[402] Magnetar — Painted for the Feburary, 2003 issue of Scientific American, this digital painting shows the immense burst of magnetic energy and soft gamma radiation that is released when a highly magnetic neutron star experiences a "starquake" -- a vertical displacement of the surface perhaps smaller than a millimeter. The burst is tightly constrained to a thin belt by the intense magnetic field.

403-Magnetar-Cover

[403] Magnetar — An illustration by Don Dixon depicting a magnetar, a neutron star characterized by an extremely powerful magnetic field, undergoing a high-energy eruption. The scene visualizes the magnetar's fractured, incandescent crust and the resulting release of plasma and radiation into the surrounding magnetosphere, driven by magnetic reconnection events. This digital illustration was created for the February, 2003 issue of Scientific American

408-Black-Hole-Disk

[408] Black Hole Disk —
This illustration provides a high-detail perspective of a stellar-mass black hole system. A companion star is shown undergoing significant Roche lobe overflow, with a distinct stream of stellar plasma being pulled into a massive, multi-layered accretion disk. The disk transitions from vibrant orange and red outer regions to a luminous, white-hot interior. A powerful relativistic jet of purple ionized matter is shown being ejected perpendicular to the disk from the vicinity of the event horizon, a hallmark of active high-mass X-ray binaries.. Digital, for Scientific American © 2005 by Don Dixon.

412-ss433-BlackHole

[412] SS 433 — An illustration by Don Dixon of the microquasar SS 433, a binary system containing a compact object—likely a stellar-mass black hole—and a massive donor star. The scene demonstrates high-rate mass transfer via Roche lobe overflow, fueling a super-critical accretion disk that emits oppositely directed, precessing relativistic jets of ionized gas. This digital illustration was created in 2004 to visualize the unique corkscrew-like precession of the system's jets. Digital, cover, February 2005 "Astronomy" magazine. (originally miscredited to the late, great Adolf Schaller).

424-Micro-Black-Holes-Forming

[424] Micro Black Holes — An illustration by Don Dixon presented as a diptych, conceptualizing the formation and detection of primordial or microscopic black holes. The left panel visualizes quantum fluctuations in the early high-density universe leading to the collapse of primordial matter into small-scale singularities. The right panel represents a theoretical detection scenario where a micro black hole interacts with Earth's atmosphere, producing a characteristic shower of secondary particles and radiation detectable by ground-based sensors. This digital composite was created in 2008 for scientific publications exploring dark matter candidates and high-energy particle physics. Digital diagram for Scientific American, 2005. © 2005 by Don Dixon.

425-Micro-Black-Holes-Evolve

[425] Micro Black Holes Evolving — An illustration by Don Dixon presented as a vertical infographic depicting the theoretical evolution and decay of a microscopic black hole via Hawking radiation. The five-stage sequence visualizes a singularity's transition from a stable gravitational state to a terminal explosive release of high-energy particles and gamma radiation. This digital illustration was created in 2008 and has been utilized in scientific media to explain particle physics concepts and the potential signatures of micro black hole evaporation. Digital diagram for Scientific American, 2005. © 2005 by Don Dixon.

443-gravity-wave

[443] Gravity Wave — An illustration by Don Dixon conceptualizing a primordial gravity wave propagating through the early universe. The scene visualizes the distortion of spacetime as a series of rhythmic, undulating ripples that transition from a high-energy red state to a cooler blue cosmic structure. This digital illustration was created in 2008 and has been featured in scientific journals and documentaries to represent the gravitational wave background and the influence of inflation on the large-scale structure of the cosmos. Abstract representation, digital © 2007 Don Dixon/cosmographica.com

449-Inside the Jet of a Galactic Black Hole

[449] Black Hole Blowback — Gazing into the "throat" of a galactic jet. An illustration by Don Dixon depicting the "blowback" effect of an active black hole, where intense radiation pressure and powerful stellar winds from the accretion disk drive gas and dust out of the galactic center. The scene is rendered from an interior perspective within the outflow, showing concentric shells of glowing ionized gas and shock waves expanding away from a central luminosity that masks the singularity. Churning magnetic fields and acoustic waves ripple outward. Digital painting for special "Black Holes" edition of Scientific American. © 2007 Don Dixon/cosmographica.com

450-black-hole-blowback-02

[450] Black Hole Blowback 02 — An illustration by Don Dixon depicting galactic feedback mechanisms driven by a central supermassive black hole. The scene visualizes the "blowback" effect, where intense radiation pressure and thermal energy from an active galactic nucleus clear the surrounding region of gas and dust, forming concentric shock fronts and shells of glowing plasma. This digital illustration was created in 2008 and has been featured in astrophysical media to illustrate the regulation of star formation and the mechanical influence of black hole outflows on host galaxies.We see one of the most energetic processes in nature as we look down the "throat" of a galactic jet. ADigital painting for special "Black Holes" edition of Scientific American. © 2007 Don Dixon/cosmogracosmcosmographica.com

496-gas-clouds-black-hole-milky-way

[496] Gas Clouds near the central Black Hole — Sagittarius-A ; Clouds of gas and dust swirl into the black hole at the core of the Milky Way galaxy. An illustration by Don Dixon depicting the complex environment surrounding a supermassive black hole at a galactic center, specifically highlighting the interaction between orbiting gas clouds and the central accretion disk. The scene illustrates gravitational capture and tidal disruption of molecular clouds, contributing to the fueling of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and the generation of a powerful relativistic jet.digital, for Scientific American, 2013. copyright Don Dixon / cosmographica.com

Fast Radio Burst Magnetar

[frb_fin_001] Fast Radio Burst (FRB) — This scene illustrates the "starquake" model of a magnetar, a type of neutron star with an ultra-strong magnetic field. The artwork depicts a rupture in the stellar crust, which triggers a catastrophic reconfiguration of magnetic field lines and the subsequent release of a Fast Radio Burst (FRB). The resulting emission is shown as a high-energy plume of radiation erupting from the fractured surface into the magnetosphere. Illustration by Don Dixon.
[Publication History]: This illustration was prominently featured in the June 2019 issue of Astronomy magazine to accompany the article "Cosmic Firecrackers," which explores the origins of Fast Radio Bursts. It is also documented within the artist's "Exotic Stars" digital archive.

504 Gravity Waves radiate as black holes merge

[504] Binary Black Hole Merger — An illustration by Don Dixon depicting the merger of two stellar-mass black holes and the resulting emission of gravitational waves. The scene visualizes the final stages of a binary inspiral, where the orbital decay of the singularities creates intense ripples in the fabric of spacetime, rendered as concentric, glowing blue and white distortions against a multi-colored nebular background. This digital has been utilized to represent the astrophysical events detected by laser interferometry. Interior painting for November, 2017 Astronomy Magazine shows the space-time distortions produced as two black holes merge. © Don Dixon / cosmographica.com

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