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NASA black hole safety video warns you'll be stretched into a giant noodle

Don't be fooled by the adorable black holes in this video.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
nasagoddardblackhole

NASA knows a thing or two about black holes.

Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET

I learned a lot by watching NASA's Guide to Black Hole Safety, an animated video the Goddard Space Flight Center released on Monday. 

I learned a black hole is not a portal to another dimension filled with unicorns and space potatoes. Also, that I really shouldn't take a vacation to a black hole.

NASA's adorable video is geared toward younger viewers with an interest in science, but it's good for any age. It's a breezy exploration of black hole basics in the guise of a cartoon warning an alien not to go visit one of the universe's most mysterious objects.  

Goddard released the video in celebration of Black Hole Week, along with a safety brochure warning of radiation, time dilation and spaghettification (being stretched into a giant noodle) should you get too close to a black hole. The video also covers these issues, which should be enough to dissuade you from booking a black hole timeshare.

If you're still trying to wrap your head around what a black hole is, then this video will guide you. Just don't feel disappointed when you learn a black hole is not a cosmic vacuum cleaner.

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