Black hole

 

Blackholes have become a hot topic among science enthusiasts nowadays, and it is making headlines in science magazines lately. I will also be telling you about these mysterious black holes but I will try to make it a little easy for you to understand.

What is Black holes?

            The black hole is not a hole but a very dense matter, that produces a gravitational field so strong that nothing can escape it, not even light thus contributing to its name “black hole”. The density of a substance can be explained as to how tightly its molecules are paced for example same length of Iron will be denser than aluminum because its molecules are more tightly packed than aluminum, thus will also weigh more than it. Likewise, a black hole might be so dense that its size is equal to the diameter of New York but weighs more than ten suns. While gravitational field exerted by an object is directly proportional to its mass hence justifying why these black holes have such great gravitational field.

How black holes are formed?

Black holes are formed when a massive star dies. The core of the star collapses, while its mass gets concentrated in a very small space called singularity which is so dense that even light cannot escape it. The concentration of the mass in such a small space is due to the gravitational force that compresses the dying star to a point of minimum volume and maximum density, for example, hydraulic press compresses large object into tiny space (you can also watch some satisfying videos of the hydraulic press by clicking here). However, the pressure exerted by the gravitational field of these dying stars is far greater. For the formation of a black hole, it must have a mass equal to or more than that of 3 suns combined. (For more information on blackholes click here)

When and how black holes were discovered?

The term black hole was first used in 1967 while its reality was just theoretical back then. Albert Einstein also predicted such phenomena back in 1916 While it was first physically observed in 1971. A scientist cannot visually see black holes as they reflect zero light, however, their presence can be detected by its interaction with other stars i.e., absorption of other stars gasses that spirals into black hole heating to an extent that it creates luminous ring as seen in most black hole pictures and by the emission of radiations