Spacecalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Black Hole?
/ˌblaːk ˈhoʊl/
A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so extreme that nothing — not even light — can escape once it crosses the event horizon. They form when massive stars collapse at the end of their lives.
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Everyday Example
Imagine a whirlpool in a river so powerful that once you get close enough, the current pulls you in no matter how hard you swim — that is analogous to a black hole's gravitational pull.
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“In 2019 the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first-ever direct image of a black hole — the supermassive black hole at the centre of galaxy M87, 55 million light-years away.”
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Did you know?
Albert Einstein's general relativity predicted black holes in 1915, but he himself did not believe they could actually form. John Wheeler popularised the term "black hole" in 1967.
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Key Insight
Time moves more slowly near a black hole's gravitational field — a clock near the event horizon would tick slower relative to one far away. This is not science fiction; GPS satellites must account for this effect.
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