Discover how these cosmic giants warp spacetime, trap light, and challenge our understanding of physics.
Understanding the forces that create and shape these cosmic objects
In 1915, Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicted that massive objects like stars warp the fabric of spacetime. When a star collapses under its own gravity, it can create a region where escape velocity exceeds the speed of light.
"Space and time are not independent, but are interwoven into a single continuum."
The event horizon is the boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing can escape, not even light. Its radius depends on the black hole's mass and is calculated by the Schwarzschild radius.
"The point of no return... where the escape velocity equals the speed of light."
At the center of a black hole lies a singularity - a point of infinite density and zero volume. Our understanding of physics breaks down here, as quantum mechanics and general relativity cannot be reconciled.
"A point of zero volume containing all the mass of the star, where known laws of physics cease to apply."
Black holes come in different masses: stellar-mass (10-100 solar masses), supermassive (millions to billions of solar masses), and intermediate. The most massive are found at the centers of galaxies.
"From primordial seeds to supergiants, black holes come in many sizes and masses."
Adjust parameters to see how they affect the black hole's properties and surrounding space
Amazing discoveries about these cosmic enigmas
The first black hole was inferred in 1972 in the binary system Cygnus X-1.
The Milky Way's supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, has a mass of 4.3 million solar masses.
The event horizon is the point of no return, with escape velocity exceeding the speed of light.
Black holes can power jets of particles moving at near-light speeds, extending millions of light-years.