Black Holes

A black hole is a gravitationally dense astronomical object with such strength that no form of energy can escape its influence. A black hole creates a warp, or gravity well, on the space it occupies. From the point of approach, a black hole exhibits a visibly flat structure that contains the condensed matter pulled into the black hole: the accretion disk. The size of an accretion disk is dependent on how large the black hole is. Additionally, a black hole may exhibit plumes of gas, called jets, perpendicular to the accretion disk. Neither accretion disks nor gas jets are proof of a black hole, as other objects such as neutron stars and quasars have the same characteristics.

Typically, a black hole forms by the collapse of a massive object, such as a star. A star needs to be at least 20 solar masses, a neutron star, or a white dwarf to have enough influence to bend space. When a star nears the end of its fuel supply, it swells to a red giant. Once the star has burned its remaining gases, the shell of the star collapses in on itself and shrinks to a white dwarf. Given time, the pressure and mass may be so intense that the star will continue to degrade and collapse inward. The gravitational signature of the star becomes a singularity, and a black hole forms.