Black Hole Chan is the moe anthropomorphization of a black hole, drawn as a cute anime girl with cosmic and gravitational motifs. She first appeared on Pixiv in December 2015 and gained wider traction alongside Earth-chan in 2017 and 2018 before a second wave of art followed the first real photograph of a black hole in 2019.
Origin
The earliest known drawing of Black Hole Chan was posted to Pixiv on December 4, 2015, by user sawasawa[1]. It predates the wider astronomy-anthropomorphization trend by roughly two years and sat quietly on the platform without much traction at the time[3].
- Platform: Pixiv / Twitter (viral spread)
- Creator: sawasawa
- Date: 2015
Overview
Black Hole Chan is the moe anthropomorphization of a black hole, typically drawn as a young anime girl with dark, gravity-warped hair and cosmic accessories[3]. Artists often place her next to other astronomy-themed characters like Earth-chan and Sun-sensei, playing the visual gag of a cute girl who happens to devour anything that gets close[4].
The look is deliberately soft and huggable, which is the whole joke against the fact that a real black hole is one of the most destructive objects in physics[3]. She fits into the same corner of Japanese fan art that turns celestial bodies, countries, and inanimate objects into big-eyed anime characters, and she saw two clear waves of attention: the astronomy-moe wave of 2017 and 2018, and the 2019 wave that followed a major astrophysics milestone[2].
How It Spread
Black Hole Chan picked up broader momentum in late 2017 and early 2018, riding the same wave as Earth-chan when astronomy-themed moe characters were spreading fast across art Twitter and image boards[3]. Artist BSA Apricot became among the most active creators of the character during that window, posting popular pieces to Imgur, including a Sun-sensei vs Black Hole-chan set[4], and sharing work through a Facebook page[5].
The second surge came in April 2019, right after the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration released the first real image of a supermassive black hole. BSA Apricot posted two Black Hole Chan comics on Twitter that pulled in roughly 2,800 retweets and 9,500 likes[2]. Instagram artist taymabe added a widely-liked illustration around the same time[6], and Twitter user @unkomoreso720 posted a piece that reached about 4,600 retweets and 13,000 likes[7].
How to Use
Fan art of Black Hole Chan typically follows the standard moe formula: an anime girl design with black or void-colored hair, subtle gravitational or accretion-disk motifs, and often a small cameo from Earth-chan or Sun-sensei nearby[3]. Comics commonly lean on the punchline that she accidentally pulls in whatever is around her, from stray objects to other characters[4].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Black Hole Chan?
Black Hole Chan is the moe anthropomorphization of a black hole, drawn as an anime girl character[3].
Where did Black Hole Chan come from?
The earliest known image of the character was posted to Pixiv on December 4, 2015, by user sawasawa[1].
What does Black Hole Chan mean?
She personifies a black hole in the same style as other Japanese fan-art anthros like Earth-chan, turning a cosmic object into a cute character[3].
How do you use Black Hole Chan?
Artists draw original illustrations and short comics of her, often pairing her with Earth-chan or Sun-sensei[4].
Is Black Hole Chan still popular?
Her peak activity was the 2017 to 2018 astronomy-moe wave and the April 2019 art surge that followed the first real black hole photo[2].
