What Are Blackholes?

WHAT IS A BLACKHOLE?

A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape from it.

EXTRA FACT!

The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass can deform spacetime to form a black hole.

HOW IS A BLACKHOLE FORMED?

Black holes form when the center of a very massive star collapses in upon itself. This collapse also causes a supernova or an "exploding" star, this blasts part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes formed at the same time as the galaxy they are in.

WHO DISCOVERED THE FIRST BLACKHOLE?

The first modern solution of general relativity that would characterize a black hole was found by Karl Schwarzschild in 1916, although its interpretation as a region of space from which nothing can escape was first published by David Finkelstein in 1958.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BLACK HOLE IN THE MILKY WAY?

The largest supermassive black hole in the Milky Way's vicinity appears to be that of Messier 87 (i.e. M87*), at a mass of (6.4±0.5)×109 (c. 6.4 billion) M ☉ at a distance of 53.5 million light-years.

CAN A BLACKHOLE DIE?

Hawking radiation reduces the mass and rotational energy of black holes and is therefore also known as black hole evaporation. Because of this, black holes that do not gain mass through other means are expected to shrink and ultimately vanish.