There's a Hole in my Galaxy - Story about Pluto Trip and a Black Hole

Jul 17, 2026

Upload by Ezra

A group of space-loving friends takes Maya’s family rocket ship on an unsupervised night trip toward Pluto, hoping to return before parents come back. While excitedly discussing astronomy facts, they receive an alert that a heavy object is pulling the ship off course. Observing Orion’s Belt shifting, Ava explains gravitational lensing and suspects a black hole. The computer confirmation details its mass and distance, forcing Maya and Reyhaan to confront the danger ahead.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time43 min

There's a Hole in my Galaxy

Rocket trip to Pluto

Astronomy talk and solar system facts

Alert: heavy object off course

Orion’s Belt shifts and black hole confirmation

There's a Hole in my Galaxy Author: Ananya Dasgupta Illustrator: Chaaya Prabhat English Science There's a Hole in my Galaxy There's a Hole in my Galaxy (English), written by Ananya Dasgupta, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat, supported by CISCO, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books,2018) under a CC BY 4.0 license, first released on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free [on www.storyweaver.org.in](on www.storyweaver.org.in) Reformatted by : Amitha Amar, 3Strands English India Copyright © 2026, Pratham Books (© Pratham Books,2018) under a CC BY 4.0 license, first released on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free [on www.storyweaver.org.in](on www.storyweaver.org.in) [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) You are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc. It is the year 2563 on planet Earth. Maya’s family owns a rocket ship. But she is not allowed to use it. Not without a grown-up. Ava really wants to see Pluto . She is Maya’s best friend and loves everything about space and astronomy. She wants Maya to fly her to Pluto . “Please,” says Ava . “Please, please .” “My parents will be angry,” Maya protests . “They’re out for the weekend, and it’s not that far to Pluto . We’ll be back before your parents return,”promises Ava . Maya reluctantly agrees . Her brother Reyhaan tags along. The three friends soar off from Earth on a hot summer night. Ava bounces with excitement. Ava starts reeling off facts about the Solar System.“Do you know that one day the sun will die?” asks Ava. “You say the strangest things, Ava. How can the sun die?” asks Reyhaan. “The sun gets its energy by burning hydrogen to produce helium. Slowly, all its hydrogen will get used up. Probably in five billion years,” says Ava. Ava tells Reyhaan that when a star the size of the sun dies, it becomes a white dwarf. When a star bigger than the sun dies, it becomes a black hole. Suddenly, there is a loud beeping. ‘ALERT! ALERT! HEAVY OBJECT PULLING SHIP OFF COURSE,’ says the computer. The friends stare at the screen.“But I can’t see anything,” says Reyhaan. “No, look,” says Maya.“The stars in Orion’s Belt are no longer in a straight line.” Ava gulps.“I...I...I think we are near a black hole. The gravitational field of the black hole is bending the light of the stars near it, like a lens bends light that passes through it.” ‘CONFIRMATION . BLACK HOLE TWICE AS HEAVY AS THE SUN . MOVING AT THE SPEED OF THE SHIP . BLACK HOLE EVENT HORIZON 5 KILOMETRES AWAY .’ “BLACK HOLE?” Maya and Reyhaan ask together.

FAQs

Why does Maya agree to fly to Pluto?

Ava promises they will be back before Maya’s parents return, and Maya reluctantly agrees. Her brother Reyhaan joins them.

What triggers the friends’ concern during the flight?

A loud beeping alert states that a heavy object is pulling the ship off course.

How do they figure out a black hole is involved?

They notice Orion’s Belt no longer forms a straight line, and Ava explains that the black hole’s gravity can bend light, like a lens, creating the visible distortion.

Jul 17, 2026

Upload by Ezra