Astralens: A Real-Time Black Hole Simulation
A real-time visualization of a black hole with a cinematic accretion disk, photon ring, and procedural deep-space rendering.
What it does
Astralens is a real-time black hole visualization built in Python using the Taichi programming language for GPU acceleration.
The project simulates a glowing accretion disk surrounding a black hole while rendering a cinematic photon ring, procedural nebulae, distant galaxies, and thousands of stars. The renderer uses temperature-based coloring, layered lighting, cinematic color grading, and optimized rendering techniques to create a visually immersive deep-space scene while maintaining real-time performance.
The project was developed iteratively during the hackathon using AI-assisted development, with a focus on graphics programming, rendering techniques, optimization, and creative experimentation.