• Question: What is a black hole

    Asked by rocket to Jamie, Jodie, Kat, Mark, Niamh on 16 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Jamie Pringle

      Jamie Pringle answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      Hello again rocket,

      Are you studying physics by any chance? Again completely out of my area, but I can have a go.

      A black hole is a theoretical entity predicted by the equations of general relativity, but they have never been observed directly. The theory goes that a black hole is formed when a star of sufficient mass undergoes gravitational collapse, with most or all of its mass compressed into a sufficiently small area of space, allowing nothing, not even light, to escape from it.

      you probably need an expert to fully answer this question!

    • Photo: Mark Hill

      Mark Hill answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Hello Rocket,

      You are certainly coming up with some good questions, that are really interesting. However, I am no expert. Jamie has given a good intro answer. There is a good section on black holes in Stephen Hawking’s book ‘A Brief History of Time’ in which he puts forward a very convincing theory over what they are.

      However, because at the ‘event horizon, just before the black hole, it is thought that time and light all start to behave erratically, all light being sucked into the hole, nothing can escape it, thus we cannot see it. Read the chapter in the book and you will find out more and understand one popular theory a bit more. This is merely a theory, amongst others, as there is currently no apparent method of investigating it further at the moment. It is real theoretical astrophysics.

      Well done with an interesting topic.

      Mark.

    • Photo: Jodie Dunnett

      Jodie Dunnett answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Oh my goodness, are there any physicists out there willing to answer this one?! I know that they are black because no light can escape from them (something to do with gravity?) and that they emit radiation but other than that I am stumped!

    • Photo: Niamh Nic Daeid

      Niamh Nic Daeid answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Hi Rocket

      Good question .. are you interested in astronomy ? I agree with my Jamie and Mark above in their answers .. you you can get some more info here

      http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/

Comments