Back in 1687, Sir Isaac Newton demonstrated that all objects in the universe are attracted to each other by gravity. Other factors such as electricity, magnetism, and pressure frequently exert a more significant influence on our daily lives. On the other hand, gravity modifies our universe since it is sensed at long distances. Newton demonstrated that his theories of gravity might explain the observable motions of the Solar System’s moons and planets.
Let us dive into what its relation to black holes is.
The discovery of black holes
In 1916, Karl Schwarzschild discovered the first modern solution of general relativity that would characterise a black hole. Then, in 1958, David Finkelstein published the first interpretation as a region of space from which nothing can escape. Afterwards, in the early 1970s, the finding of a large but invisible object rotating around a blue star that was over 6,000 light-years away was announced independently by British astronomers Paul Murdin and Louise Webster at the Royal Greenwich Observatory as well as Thomas Bolton, University of Toronto student. The object, a powerful X-ray source known as Cygnus X-1, is what is now known as the first black hole discovery.
What is a black hole, and how is it born?
A black hole is a region of space – very dense to the point they create deep gravity sinks and where the gravitational field is so strong that light, too, cannot escape its gravity. Anything that comes too close to it will eventually be stretched and crushed.
Black holes can be classified as intermediate, stellar, tiny, or supermassive. The most common way in which a black hole develops is through the death of a star. Most stars will inflate, lose mass, and then cool themselves before creating white dwarfs as they come to the end of their lives. The largest of these blazing things, ones that are at least 10 to 20 times the mass of the sun, will become stellar-mass black holes or super-dense neutron stars. Big explosions called the supernovae happen when these enormous stars reach their end. Eventually, no forces are left to counteract gravity in the stellar remnants, making the star core begin to collapse on itself. If the star’s mass collapses into an immensely small point, the existence of a black hole becomes reality.
Black holes in galaxies
Supermassive black holes can have masses of billions of suns and are presumed to sit at the heart of most galaxies. Sagittarius A*, a supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, is more than four million times the mass of our sun. However, despite their vast size, black holes can still grow throughout their lives.
Conclusion
Black holes are mysterious things, but with modern technology and physics, we now have a much better understanding of what they are. Every day, the scientific community is looking for more information on how these things work. If you wish to learn the physics behind the universe’s biggest mysteries or other exciting discoveries such as the electromagnetic spectrum, do not hesitate to contact us at Best Physics Tuition™ Centre and enrol in our H2 Physics tuition classes to start your journey to advanced Physics!
