Blackholes | Universe Today

Written by Tega Jessa

The Black hole is an object that is considered the most dense form of matter in the universe. It is so dense that it has a gravitational force that can prevent light from escaping and literally create a hole in space time. You may know something about black holes from science fiction and space movies. In fiction they are often seen as ways to travel long distances in space, or a limitless supply of energy. However there are some interesting facts that you may not know about them.

A black hole is something that is predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity. It is not something that has been directly observed by scientists. However there is evidence that we have found from its effects on surround objects and matter in space. A black hole is essentially supposed to be the end result of a star's life cycle. As you may know as a star runs out of the hydrogen it needs to fuel its fusion reaction it first expands then star starts to collapse on itself. The core in the process becomes more and more dense. In becoming a black hole, the core becomes so dense that not even light can escape its gravity and it warps space and time creating what we know as a black hole. The black hole has two key parts. One is the singularity. This is the super condensed star core that is the main party of the black hole. The other part is the event horizon. This where the hole in the fabric of space-time is. It is said that the gravity created by the singularity makes time literally stop in proximity of the event horizon. So if you were to pass the event horizon it would be the point of no return.

Scientists first theorized about black holes in the late 1800s but it was not mathematically described until Einstein's General Theory of Relativity in 1913. This was further supported by the interesting observations of astronomers. For one while it is impossible to directly look at a black hole it can be visible under certain circumstances. For example a black hole can be visible when near a star. The gas drawn by the black hole is compressed and creates great explosions of radiation that are detectable. That is how many of the ones we know about have been found.

If you enjoyed this article there are several others that you would enjoy. There is a great article on black holes being used to power star ships and another great one on super massive black holes.

There are some great articles about black holes online. There is a great article that goes into more detail on howstuffworks.com. There is also a great article on the UC Berkeley website.

You can also check out Astronomy Cast. Episode 135 about Gamma Ray Astronomy will show you how astronomers spot black holes.

Filed under: Astronomy