Scientists at Surrey NanoSystems have created the darkest material on the planet. Capable of blocking out 99.96 per cent of all light it's called Vantablack.
This astonishing material is made from, you guessed it: carbon nanotubes, everyone's favourite wonder material, and can make anything that it touches completely non-reflective.
What makes it even more special however is the process in which it's applied, because it uses a low temperature process it's far easier and cheaper than current application processes which require extreme levels of heat.
Surrey NanoSystems have unsurprisingly been offered a galactic sum of money by military contractors and it's believed that the material will be used on the next-generation of stealth fighters, missiles and tanks.
Happily it also has space applications as well -- sadly that doesn't involve building Hotblack Desiato's spaceship -- but instead on the linings of telescopes.
By creating a material that has is utterly non-reflective it'll allow telescopes to see further, much much further.