A black hole is an area in space where the force of gravity is extremely strong. It is so strong that light cannot escape. The concentration of matter in a small space creates a massive pull of gravity. This happens when a star runs out of fuel and collapses into a smaller and smaller space. This lack of light results in the black color.
Stellar Black Hole
Stellar black holes are created when a large star collapses. The collapse occurs when a star runs out of fuel and begins to die. The star’s outer layers collapse inwards. This causes the star to get smaller and smaller. However, as the star gets smaller, its gravitational pull gets stronger and stronger.
Small stars will collapse into a neutron or a white dwarf star. But if the star is large, it collapses into a stellar black hole. A star that is three time larger than our sun is considered a large star.
Supermassive Black Hole
Supermassive black holes are found at the center of galaxies. Their mass could be equal to a million of our suns. These supermassive black holes were created when their galaxies were being formed.
The collapse of many small black holes may create supermassive black holes. Alternately, the collapse of massive clouds of gas or many stars could produce the same result.
Miniature Black Holes
Tiny black holes were formed when the universe was created. Following the Big Bang, miniature black holes were created. These black holes have a mass that is less than our sun but compressed into the size of an atom.
Reflections
Vocabulary
- black hole
- gravity
- universe
Notes
- A black hole is an area in space where gravity is strong enough to prevent light from escaping.
- There are three types of black holes: stellar, supermassive and miniature.
- Stellar black holes are created by the collapse of a star.
