Mysteries of Space - 04 - Samrudh
In the last episode, we learnt about our galaxy and its twin, Andromeda. In this episode, we are going to learn about black holes.
What is a black hole?
A black hole is a place in space that has very strong gravity.
How do they form?
Black holes are formed when a star explodes and dies. When a big star has run out of fuel it can’t stop gravity pulling it’s gas together, squeezing it tighter and tighter until it forms a tiny neutron star, or a black hole.
What do they do?
Everything around a black hole is sucked into it- even light! However, they do not act as enormous vacuum cleaners. Something has to get too close to be in danger of being pulled in. They affect just their area.
How do we find the black holes?
Scientists can’t find black holes easily as they are black in colour .Their black colour makes them invisible in space. However, scientists can find them using space telescopes. Although, scientists can’t see them through space telescopes, they can see the X-ray pictures obtained from the data collected from the space telescopes. Space telescopes can detect X-rays made by the incredible hotness caused by the effect of gas and dust falling into a black hole.
More about black holes:
- Do you know that some people think a black hole may be a doorway to another universe! But it’s all just speculation. Nobody really knows.
- If an astronaut entered a black hole, he or she would be stretched into a long, thin shape before forever disappearing into a black hole.