Black holes names. What is a black hole in space

Most people have a vague or incorrect idea of ​​what black holes are. Meanwhile, these are such global and powerful objects of the Universe, in comparison with which our Planet and our entire life are nothing.

Essence

This is a cosmic object with such enormous gravity that it absorbs everything that falls within its boundaries. In fact, black hole is an object that does not even let out light and bends space-time. Even time moves slower near black holes.

In fact, the existence of black holes is just a theory (and a little practice). Scientists have assumptions and practical experience, but have not yet been able to closely study black holes. Therefore, black holes are conventionally called all objects that fit the this description. Black holes have been little studied, and therefore many questions remain unresolved.

Any black hole has an event horizon - that boundary after which nothing can escape. Moreover, the closer an object is to a black hole, the slower it moves.

Education

There are several types and methods of formation of black holes:
- the formation of black holes as a result of the formation of the Universe. Such black holes appeared immediately after the Big Bang.
- dying stars. When a star loses its energy and thermonuclear reactions stop, the star begins to shrink. Depending on the degree of compression, neutron stars, white dwarfs and, in fact, black holes are distinguished.
- obtained through experiment. For example, a quantum black hole can be created in a collider.

Versions

Many scientists are inclined to believe that black holes eject all the absorbed matter elsewhere. Those. There must be “white holes” that operate on a different principle. If you can get into a black hole, but cannot get out, then, on the contrary, you cannot get into a white hole. The main argument of scientists is the sharp and powerful bursts of energy recorded in space.

Proponents of string theory generally created their own model of a black hole, which does not destroy information. Their theory is called "Fuzzball" - it allows us to answer questions related to the singularity and the disappearance of information.

What is singularity and disappearance of information? A singularity is a point in space characterized by infinite pressure and density. Many people are confused by the fact of singularity, because physicists cannot work with infinite numbers. Many are sure that there is a singularity in a black hole, but its properties are described very superficially.

If we talk in simple language, then all problems and misunderstandings come out of proportion quantum mechanics and gravity. So far, scientists cannot create a theory that unites them. And that’s why problems arise with a black hole. After all, a black hole seems to destroy information, but at the same time the foundations of quantum mechanics are violated. Although quite recently S. Hawking seemed to have decided this question, stating that information in black holes is not destroyed after all.

Stereotypes

Firstly, black holes cannot exist indefinitely. And all thanks to Hawking evaporation. Therefore, there is no need to think that black holes will sooner or later swallow the Universe.

Secondly, our Sun will not become a black hole. Since the mass of our star will not be enough. Our sun will soon turn into white dwarf(and that’s not a fact).

Thirdly, the Large Hadron Collider will not destroy our Earth by creating a black hole. Even if they deliberately create a black hole and “release” it, then due to its small size, it will consume our planet for a very, very long time.

Fourthly, you don’t need to think that a black hole is a “hole” in space. A black hole is a spherical object. Hence the majority of opinions that black holes lead to a parallel Universe. However, this fact has not yet been proven.

Fifthly, a black hole has no color. It is detected either by X-ray radiation or against the background of other galaxies and stars (lens effect).

Because people often confuse black holes with wormholes (which actually exist), some ordinary people these concepts are not different. A wormhole really allows you to move in space and time, but so far only in theory.

Complex things in simple terms

It is difficult to describe such a phenomenon as a black hole in simple language. If you consider yourself a techie who understands exact sciences, then I advise you to read the works of scientists directly. If you want to learn more about this phenomenon, then read the works of Stephen Hawking. He did a lot for science, and especially in the field of black holes. The evaporation of black holes is named after him. He is a supporter of the pedagogical approach, and therefore all his works will be understandable even to the average person.

Books:
- “Black Holes and Young Universes” 1993.
- “The World in a Nutshell 2001.”
- « Brief history Universe 2005"

I especially want to recommend his popular science films, which will tell you in clear language not only about black holes, but also about the Universe in general:
- “Stephen Hawking's Universe” - a series of 6 episodes.
- “Deep into the Universe with Stephen Hawking” - a series of 3 episodes.
All these films have been translated into Russian and are often shown on Discovery channels.

Thank you for your attention!

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The boundless Universe is full of secrets, riddles and paradoxes. Although modern science has made a huge leap forward in space exploration, much in this vast world remains incomprehensible to the human worldview. We know a lot about stars, nebulae, clusters and planets. However, in the vastness of the Universe there are objects whose existence we can only guess about. For example, we know very little about black holes. Basic information and knowledge about the nature of black holes is based on assumptions and conjectures. Astrophysicists and nuclear scientists have been struggling with this issue for decades. What is a black hole in space? What is the nature of such objects?

Speaking about black holes in simple terms

To imagine what a black hole looks like, just see the tail of a train going into a tunnel. The signal lights on the last car will decrease in size as the train deepens into the tunnel until they completely disappear from view. In other words, these are objects where, due to monstrous gravity, even light disappears. Elementary particles, electrons, protons and photons are unable to overcome the invisible barrier and fall into the black abyss of nothingness, which is why such a hole in space is called black. There is not the slightest light area inside it, complete blackness and infinity. What is on the other side of the black hole is unknown.

This space vacuum cleaner has a colossal gravitational force and is able to absorb an entire galaxy with all the clusters and superclusters of stars, with nebulae and dark matter to boot. How is this possible? We can only guess. The laws of physics known to us in this case are bursting at the seams and do not provide an explanation for the processes taking place. The essence of the paradox is that in a given part of the Universe the gravitational interaction of bodies is determined by their mass. The process of absorption by one object of another is not influenced by their qualitative and quantitative composition. Particles, having reached a critical number in a certain area, enter another level of interaction, where gravitational forces become forces of attraction. A body, object, substance or matter begins to compress under the influence of gravity, reaching colossal density.

Approximately similar processes occur during the formation of a neutron star, where stellar matter is compressed in volume under the influence of internal gravity. Free electrons combine with protons to form electrically neutral particles - neutrons. The density of this substance is enormous. A particle of matter the size of a piece of refined sugar weighs billions of tons. Here it would be appropriate to recall the general theory of relativity, where space and time are continuous quantities. Consequently, the compression process cannot be stopped halfway and therefore has no limit.

Potentially, a black hole looks like a hole in which there may be a transition from one part of space to another. At the same time, the properties of space and time themselves change, twisting into a space-time funnel. Reaching the bottom of this funnel, any matter disintegrates into quanta. What is on the other side of the black hole, this giant hole? Perhaps there is another space out there where other laws apply and time flows in the opposite direction.

In the context of the theory of relativity, the theory of a black hole looks like this. The point in space where gravitational forces have compressed any matter to microscopic sizes has a colossal force of attraction, the magnitude of which increases to infinity. A fold of time appears, and space bends, closing at one point. Objects swallowed up by a black hole are not able to independently withstand the pulling force of this monstrous vacuum cleaner. Even the speed of light, which quanta possess, does not allow elementary particles to overcome the force of gravity. Any body that gets to such a point ceases to be a material object, merging with a space-time bubble.

Black holes from a scientific point of view

If you ask yourself, how do black holes form? There will be no clear answer. There are quite a lot of paradoxes and contradictions in the Universe that cannot be explained from a scientific point of view. Einstein's theory of relativity allows only a theoretical explanation of the nature of such objects, but quantum mechanics and physics are silent in this case.

Trying to explain the processes occurring with the laws of physics, the picture will look like this. An object formed as a result of colossal gravitational compression of a massive or supermassive cosmic body. This process has a scientific name - gravitational collapse. The term “black hole” was first heard in the scientific community in 1968, when American astronomer and physicist John Wheeler tried to explain the state of stellar collapse. According to his theory, in the place of a massive star that has undergone gravitational collapse, a spatial and temporal gap appears, in which an ever-increasing compression operates. Everything that the star was made of goes inside itself.

This explanation allows us to conclude that the nature of black holes is in no way connected with the processes occurring in the Universe. Everything that happens inside this object is not reflected in any way on the surrounding space with one “BUT”. The gravitational force of a black hole is so strong that it bends space, causing galaxies to rotate around black holes. Accordingly, the reason why galaxies take the shape of spirals becomes clear. How long it will take for the huge Milky Way galaxy to disappear into the abyss of a supermassive black hole is unknown. An interesting fact is that black holes can appear anywhere in outer space, where they are created for this purpose. ideal conditions. Such a fold of time and space neutralizes the enormous speeds with which stars rotate and move through the space of the galaxy. Time in a black hole flows in another dimension. Within this region, no laws of gravity can be interpreted in terms of physics. This state is called a black hole singularity.

Black holes do not show any external identification signs; their existence can be judged by the behavior of other space objects that are affected by gravitational fields. The whole picture of a life-and-death struggle takes place on the border of a black hole, which is covered with a membrane. This imaginary funnel surface is called the “event horizon.” Everything we see up to this border is tangible and material.

Black hole formation scenarios

Developing the theory of John Wheeler, we can conclude that the mystery of black holes is most likely not in the process of its formation. The formation of a black hole occurs as a result of the collapse of a neutron star. Moreover, the mass of such an object should exceed the mass of the Sun by three or more times. The neutron star shrinks until its own light is no longer able to escape the tight embrace of gravity. There is a limit to the size to which a star can shrink, giving birth to a black hole. This radius is called the gravitational radius. Massive stars at the final stage of their development should have a gravitational radius of several kilometers.

Today, scientists have obtained indirect evidence of the presence of black holes in a dozen X-ray binary stars. X-ray stars, pulsars or bursters do not have a solid surface. In addition, their mass is greater than the mass of three Suns. The current state of outer space in the constellation Cygnus - the X-ray star Cygnus X-1, allows us to trace the process of formation of these curious objects.

Based on research and theoretical assumptions, today in science there are four scenarios for the formation of black stars:

• gravitational collapse of a massive star at the final stage of its evolution;
• collapse of the central region of the galaxy;
• the formation of black holes during the Big Bang;
• formation of quantum black holes.

The first scenario is the most realistic, but the number of black stars we are familiar with today exceeds the number of known neutron stars. And the age of the Universe is not so great that such a number of massive stars could go through the full process of evolution.

The second scenario has the right to life, and there is a striking example of this - the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, nestled in the center of our galaxy. The mass of this object is 3.7 solar masses. The mechanism of this scenario is similar to the gravitational collapse scenario, with the only difference that it is not the star that collapses, but the interstellar gas. Under the influence of gravitational forces, the gas is compressed to a critical mass and density. At a critical moment, matter disintegrates into quanta, forming a black hole. However, this theory is in doubt, as recently astronomers at Columbia University identified satellites of the black hole Sagittarius A*. They turned out to be many small black holes, which were probably formed in a different way.

The third scenario is more theoretical and is associated with the existence of the Big Bang theory. At the moment of the formation of the Universe, part of the matter and gravitational fields underwent fluctuations. In other words, the processes took a different path, unrelated to the known processes of quantum mechanics and nuclear physics.

The last scenario is physics-oriented nuclear explosion. In clumps of matter, during nuclear reactions under the influence of gravitational forces, an explosion occurs, in the place of which a black hole is formed. Matter explodes inward, absorbing all particles.

Existence and evolution of black holes

Having a rough idea of ​​the nature of such strange space objects, something else is interesting. What are the true sizes of black holes and how fast do they grow? The sizes of black holes are determined by their gravitational radius. For black holes, the radius of the black hole is determined by its mass and is called the Schwarzschild radius. For example, if an object has mass equal mass our planet, then the Schwarzschild radius in this case is 9 mm. Our main luminary has a radius of 3 km. The average density of a black hole formed in place of a star with a mass of 10⁸ solar masses will be close to the density of water. The radius of such a formation will be 300 million kilometers.

It is likely that such giant black holes are located at the center of galaxies. To date, 50 galaxies are known, in the center of which there are huge temporal and spatial wells. The mass of such giants is billions of the mass of the Sun. One can only imagine what a colossal and monstrous force of attraction such a hole has.

As for small holes, these are mini-objects, the radius of which reaches negligible values, only 10¯¹² cm. The mass of such crumbs is 10¹⁴g. Similar formations arose at the time of the Big Bang, but over time increased in size and today flaunts outer space as monsters. Scientists are now trying to recreate the conditions under which small black holes formed in terrestrial conditions. For these purposes, experiments are carried out in electron colliders, through which elementary particles accelerates to the speed of light. The first experiments made it possible to obtain quark-gluon plasma in laboratory conditions - matter that existed at the dawn of the formation of the Universe. Such experiments allow us to hope that a black hole on Earth is just a matter of time. Another thing is whether such an achievement of human science will not turn into a disaster for us and for our planet. By creating an artificial black hole, we can open Pandora's box.

Recent observations of other galaxies have allowed scientists to discover black holes whose dimensions exceed all imaginable expectations and assumptions. The evolution that occurs with such objects allows us to better understand why the mass of black holes grows and what its real limit is. Scientists have concluded that all known black holes grew to their actual size within 13-14 billion years. The difference in size is explained by the density of the surrounding space. If a black hole has enough food within the reach of its gravitational forces, it grows by leaps and bounds, reaching a mass of hundreds or thousands of solar masses. Hence the gigantic size of such objects located in the center of galaxies. A massive cluster of stars, huge masses of interstellar gas provide abundant food for growth. When galaxies merge, black holes can merge together to form a new supermassive object.

Judging by the analysis evolutionary processes, it is customary to distinguish two classes of black holes:

• objects with a mass 10 times the solar mass;
• massive objects whose mass is hundreds of thousands, billions of solar masses.

There are black holes with an average intermediate mass equal to 100-10 thousand solar masses, but their nature still remains unknown. There is approximately one such object per galaxy. The study of X-ray stars made it possible to find two medium-mass black holes at a distance of 12 million light years in the M82 galaxy. The mass of one object varies in the range of 200-800 solar masses. The other object is much larger and has a mass of 10-40 thousand solar masses. The fate of such objects is interesting. They are located near star clusters, gradually being attracted to a supermassive black hole located in the central part of the galaxy.

Our planet and black holes

Despite the search for clues about the nature of black holes, scientific world worries about the place and role of the black hole in the fate of the Milky Way galaxy and, in particular, in the fate of planet Earth. The fold of time and space that exists in the center of the Milky Way gradually absorbs all existing objects around it. Millions of stars and trillions of tons of interstellar gas have already been swallowed up in the black hole. Over time, the turn will come to the Cygnus and Sagittarius arms, in which the Solar system is located, covering a distance of 27 thousand light years.

The other closest supermassive black hole is located in the central part of the Andromeda galaxy. It is about 2.5 million light years from us. Probably, before our object Sagittarius A* engulfs its own galaxy, we should expect a merger of two neighboring galaxies. Accordingly, two supermassive black holes will merge into one, terrible and monstrous in size.

Small black holes are a completely different matter. To swallow planet Earth, a black hole with a radius of a couple of centimeters is enough. The problem is that, by its nature, a black hole is a completely faceless object. No radiation or radiation emanates from its belly, so it is quite difficult to notice such a mysterious object. Only with close range You can detect a bending of the background light, which indicates that there is a hole in space in this region of the Universe.

To date, scientists have determined that the closest black hole to Earth is the object V616 Monocerotis. The monster is located 3000 light years from our system. This is a large formation in size, its mass is 9-13 solar masses. Another nearby object threatening our world, is the black hole Gygnus X-1. We are separated from this monster by a distance of 6,000 light years. The black holes discovered in our neighborhood are part of a binary system, i.e. exist in close proximity to the star that feeds the insatiable object.

Conclusion

The existence of such mysterious and mysterious objects in space as black holes certainly forces us to be on our guard. However, everything that happens to black holes happens quite rarely, given the age of the Universe and the vast distances. For 4.5 billion years, the solar system has been at rest, existing according to the laws known to us. During this time, nothing like this, no distortion of space, no fold of time nearby solar system didn't appear. There are probably no suitable conditions for this. The part of the Milky Way in which the Sun star system resides is a calm and stable area of ​​space.

Scientists admit that the appearance of black holes is not accidental. Such objects play the role of orderlies in the Universe, destroying excess cosmic bodies. As for the fate of the monsters themselves, their evolution has not yet been fully studied. There is a version that black holes are not eternal and at a certain stage may cease to exist. It is no longer a secret that such objects represent powerful sources of energy. What kind of energy it is and how it is measured is another matter.

Through the efforts of Stephen Hawking, science was presented with the theory that a black hole still emits energy while losing its mass. In his assumptions, the scientist was guided by the theory of relativity, where all processes are interrelated with each other. Nothing just disappears without appearing somewhere else. Any matter can be transformed into another substance, while one type of energy passes to another energy level. This may be the case with black holes, which are a transition portal from one state to another.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

Black holes are one of the most amazing and at the same time frightening objects in our Universe. They arise at the moment when stars with enormous mass run out of nuclear fuel. Nuclear reactions stop and the stars begin to cool. The body of the star contracts under the influence of gravity and gradually it begins to attract smaller objects to itself, transforming into a black hole.

First studies

Scientific luminaries began studying black holes not so long ago, despite the fact that the basic concepts of their existence were developed back in the last century. The very concept of a “black hole” was introduced in 1967 by J. Wheeler, although the conclusion that these objects inevitably arise during the collapse of massive stars was made back in the 30s of the last century. Everything inside the black hole - asteroids, light, comets absorbed by it - once approached too close to the boundaries of this mysterious object and failed to leave them.

Boundaries of black holes

The first of the boundaries of a black hole is called the static limit. This is the boundary of the region, entering which a foreign object can no longer be at rest and begins to rotate relative to the black hole in order to prevent itself from falling into it. The second boundary is called the event horizon. Everything inside a black hole once passed its outer boundary and moved towards the singularity point. According to scientists, here the substance flows into this central point, the density of which tends to infinity. People cannot know what laws of physics operate inside objects with such density, and therefore it is impossible to describe the characteristics of this place. IN literally In other words, it is a “black hole” (or perhaps a “gap”) in humanity’s knowledge of the world around us.

Structure of black holes

The event horizon is the impenetrable boundary of a black hole. Inside this boundary there is a zone that even objects whose movement speed is equal to the speed of light cannot leave. Even the quanta of light itself cannot leave the event horizon. Once at this point, no object can escape from the black hole. By definition, we cannot find out what is inside a black hole - after all, in its depths there is a so-called singularity point, which is formed due to the extreme compression of matter. Once an object falls inside the event horizon, from that moment on it will never be able to escape from it again and become visible to observers. On the other hand, those inside black holes cannot see anything happening outside.

The size of the event horizon surrounding this mysterious cosmic object is always directly proportional to the mass of the hole itself. If its mass is doubled, then the outer boundary will become twice as large. If scientists could find a way to turn the Earth into a black hole, then the size of the event horizon would be only 2 cm in cross section.

Main categories

As a rule, the mass of the average black hole is approximately equal to three solar masses or more. Of the two types of black holes, stellar and supermassive ones are distinguished. Their mass exceeds the mass of the Sun by several hundred thousand times. Stars are formed after the death of large heavenly bodies. Regular mass black holes appear after completion life cycle big stars. Both types of black holes, despite different origins, have similar properties. Supermassive black holes are located at the centers of galaxies. Scientists suggest that they were formed during the formation of galaxies due to the merger of stars closely adjacent to each other. However, these are only guesses, not confirmed by facts.

What's inside a black hole: guesses

Some mathematicians believe that inside these mysterious objects of the Universe there are so-called wormholes - transitions to other Universes. In other words, at the point of singularity there is a space-time tunnel. This concept has served many writers and directors. However, the vast majority of astronomers believe that there are no tunnels between the Universes. However, even if they did exist, there is no way for humans to know what is inside a black hole.

There is another concept, according to which at the opposite end of such a tunnel there is a white hole, from where a gigantic amount of energy flows from our Universe to another world through black holes. However, at this stage of the development of science and technology, travel of this kind is out of the question.

Connection with the theory of relativity

Black holes are one of the most amazing predictions of A. Einstein. It is known that the gravitational force that is created on the surface of any planet is inversely proportional to the square of its radius and directly proportional to its mass. For this celestial body, we can define the concept of second cosmic velocity, which is necessary to overcome this gravitational force. For the Earth it is equal to 11 km/sec. If the mass of the celestial body increases, and the diameter, on the contrary, decreases, then the second cosmic velocity may eventually exceed the speed of light. And since, according to the theory of relativity, no object can move faster speed light, then an object is formed that does not allow anything to escape beyond its boundaries.

In 1963, scientists discovered quasars - space objects that are giant sources of radio emission. They are located very far from our galaxy - their distance is billions of light years from Earth. To explain the extremely high activity of quasars, scientists have introduced the hypothesis that black holes are located inside them. This point of view is now generally accepted in scientific circles. Research conducted over the past 50 years has not only confirmed this hypothesis, but also led scientists to the conclusion that there are black holes at the center of every galaxy. There is also such an object in the center of our galaxy; its mass is 4 million solar masses. This black hole is called Sagittarius A, and because it is closest to us, it is the one most studied by astronomers.

Hawking radiation

This type of radiation, discovered by the famous physicist Stephen Hawking, significantly complicates the life of modern scientists - because of this discovery, many difficulties have arisen in the theory of black holes. IN classical physics there is a concept of vacuum. This word denotes complete emptiness and absence of matter. However, with the development of quantum physics, the concept of vacuum was modified. Scientists have found that it is filled with so-called virtual particles - under the influence of a strong field they can turn into real ones. In 1974, Hawking discovered that such transformations can occur in the strong gravitational field of a black hole - near its outer boundary, the event horizon. Such a birth is paired - a particle and an antiparticle appear. As a rule, the antiparticle is doomed to fall into a black hole, and the particle flies away. As a result, scientists observe some radiation around these space objects. This is called Hawking radiation.

During this radiation, the matter inside the black hole slowly evaporates. The hole loses mass, and the intensity of the radiation is inversely proportional to the square of its mass. The intensity of Hawking radiation is negligible by cosmic standards. If we assume that there is a hole with a mass of 10 suns, and neither light nor any material objects fall on it, then even in this case the time for its decay will be monstrously long. The life of such a hole will exceed the entire existence of our Universe by 65 orders of magnitude.

Question about saving information

One of the main problems that appeared after the discovery of Hawking radiation is the problem of information loss. It is connected with a question that seems very simple at first glance: what happens when a black hole evaporates completely? Both theories - quantum physics and classical - deal with the description of the state of a system. Having information about the initial state of the system, using theory it is possible to describe how it will change.

At the same time, in the process of evolution, information about the initial state is not lost - a kind of law on the preservation of information operates. But if the black hole evaporates completely, then the observer loses information about that part physical world, which once fell into a hole. Stephen Hawking believed that information about the initial state of the system is somehow restored after the black hole has completely evaporated. But the difficulty is that, by definition, information transfer from a black hole is impossible - nothing can leave the event horizon.

What happens if you fall into a black hole?

It is believed that if in some incredible way a person could get to the surface of a black hole, then it would immediately begin to pull him in its direction. Ultimately, a person would become so stretched that he would become a stream of subatomic particles moving towards a point of singularity. It is, of course, impossible to prove this hypothesis, because scientists are unlikely to ever be able to find out what happens inside black holes. Now some physicists say that if a person fell into a black hole, he would have a clone. The first of its versions would be immediately destroyed by a stream of hot particles of Hawking radiation, and the second would pass through the event horizon without the possibility of returning back.

Of all the objects known to mankind that are located in outer space, black holes produce the most eerie and incomprehensible impression. This feeling covers almost every person when black holes are mentioned, despite the fact that humanity has known about them for more than a century and a half. The first knowledge about these phenomena was obtained long before Einstein’s publications on the theory of relativity. But real confirmation of the existence of these objects was received not so long ago.

Of course, black holes are rightfully famous for their strange physical characteristics, which give rise to even more mysteries in the Universe. They easily challenge all cosmic laws of physics and cosmic mechanics. In order to understand all the details and principles of the existence of such a phenomenon as a cosmic hole, we need to familiarize ourselves with modern achievements in astronomy and use our imagination; in addition, we will have to go beyond standard concepts. For easier understanding and acquaintance with space holes, the portal site has prepared a lot interesting information, which concerns these phenomena in the Universe.

Features of black holes from the portal site

First of all, it should be noted that black holes do not come out of nowhere, they are formed from stars that are gigantic in size and mass. Moreover, the most great feature and the unique thing about every black hole is that they have a very strong gravitational pull. The force of attraction of objects to a black hole exceeds the second escape velocity. Such gravity indicators indicate that even light rays cannot escape from the field of action of a black hole, since they have a much lower speed.

The peculiarity of attraction is that it attracts all objects that are in close proximity. The larger the object that passes in the vicinity of the black hole, the more influence and attraction it will receive. Accordingly, we can conclude that the larger the object, the stronger it is attracted by the black hole, and in order to avoid such influence, the cosmic body must have very high speed rates of movement.

It is also safe to note that in the entire Universe there is no body that could avoid the attraction of a black hole if it finds itself in close proximity, since even the fastest light stream cannot escape this influence. The theory of relativity, developed by Einstein, is excellent for understanding the characteristics of black holes. According to this theory, gravity can influence time and distort space. It also states that the larger an object located in outer space, the more it slows down time. In the vicinity of the black hole itself, time seems to stop completely. When hit spaceship in the field of action of a cosmic hole, one could observe how it would slow down as it approached, and ultimately disappear altogether.

You shouldn’t be too scared of phenomena such as black holes and believe all the unscientific information that may exist on this moment. First of all, we need to dispel the most common myth that black holes can suck in all the matter and objects around them, and as they do so, they grow larger and absorb more and more. None of this is entirely true. Yes, indeed, they can absorb cosmic bodies and matter, but only those that are at a certain distance from the hole itself. Apart from their powerful gravity, they are not much different from ordinary stars with gigantic mass. Even when our Sun turns into a black hole, it will only be able to suck in objects located on a short distance, and all the planets will remain rotating in their usual orbits.

Turning to the theory of relativity, we can conclude that all objects with strong gravity can influence the curvature of time and space. In addition, the greater the body mass, the stronger the distortion will be. So, quite recently, scientists were able to see this in practice, when they could contemplate other objects that should have been inaccessible to our eyes due to huge cosmic bodies such as galaxies or black holes. All this is possible due to the fact that light rays passing nearby from a black hole or other body are very strongly bent under the influence of their gravity. This type of distortion allows scientists to look much further into outer space. But with such studies it is very difficult to determine the real location of the body being studied.

Black holes don't appear out of nowhere; they are formed by the explosion of supermassive stars. Moreover, in order for a black hole to form, the mass of the exploded star must be at least ten times greater than the mass of the Sun. Each star exists due to thermonuclear reactions that take place inside the star. In this case, a hydrogen alloy is released during the fusion process, but it cannot leave the star’s area of ​​influence, since its gravity attracts the hydrogen back. This whole process allows stars to exist. Hydrogen synthesis and star gravity are fairly well-functioning mechanisms, but disruption of this balance can lead to a star explosion. In most cases, it is caused by the exhaustion of nuclear fuel.

Depending on the mass of the star, several scenarios for their development after the explosion are possible. Thus, massive stars form an explosion field supernova, and most of them remain behind the core former star, astronauts call such objects White Dwarfs. In most cases, a gas cloud forms around these bodies, which is held in place by the gravity of the dwarf. Another path for the development of supermassive stars is also possible, in which the resulting black hole will very strongly attract all the matter of the star to its center, which will lead to its strong compression.

Such compressed bodies are called neutron stars. In the rarest cases, after the explosion of a star, the formation of a black hole in our accepted understanding of this phenomenon is possible. But for a hole to be created, the mass of the star must be simply gigantic. In this case, when the balance of nuclear reactions is disrupted, the gravity of the star simply goes crazy. At the same time, it begins to actively collapse, after which it becomes only a point in space. In other words, we can say that the star as a physical object ceases to exist. Despite the fact that it disappears, a black hole with the same gravity and mass is formed behind it.

It is the collapse of stars that leads to the fact that they completely disappear, and in their place a black hole is formed with the same physical properties as the disappeared star. The only difference is the greater degree of compression of the hole than the volume of the star. Most main feature All black holes have their singularity, which determines its center. This area defies all laws of physics, matter and space, which cease to exist. To understand the concept of singularity, we can say that this is a barrier that is called the cosmic event horizon. It is also the outer boundary of the black hole. The singularity can be called the point of no return, since it is there that the gigantic gravitational force of the hole begins to act. Even the light that crosses this barrier is unable to escape.

The event horizon has such an attractive effect that attracts all bodies at the speed of light; as you approach the black hole itself, the speed indicators increase even more. That is why all objects that fall within the range of this force are doomed to be sucked into the hole. It should be noted that such forces are capable of modifying a body caught by the action of such attraction, after which they stretch into a thin string, and then completely cease to exist in space.

The distance between the event horizon and the singularity can vary; this space is called the Schwarzschild radius. That's why than larger size black hole, the larger the range of action will be. For example, we can say that a black hole that was as massive as our Sun would have a Schwarzschild radius of three kilometers. Accordingly, large black holes have a larger range.

Finding black holes is a rather difficult process, since light cannot escape from them. Therefore, the search and definition are based only on indirect evidence of their existence. The most simple method finding them, which scientists use, is to search for them by finding places in dark space if they have large mass. In most cases, astronomers manage to find black holes in binary star systems or in the centers of galaxies.

Most astronomers are inclined to believe that there is also a super-powerful black hole at the center of our galaxy. This statement begs the question, will this hole be able to swallow everything in our galaxy? In reality this is impossible, since the hole itself has the same mass as the stars, because it is created from the star. Moreover, all scientists’ calculations do not foretell any global events related to this object. Moreover, for another billions of years, the cosmic bodies of our galaxy will quietly rotate around this black hole without any changes. Proof of the existence of a hole in the center Milky Way X-ray waves recorded by scientists can serve as sources. And most astronomers are inclined to believe that black holes actively emit them in huge quantities.

Quite common in our galaxy star systems, consisting of two stars, and often one of them can become a black hole. In this version, the black hole absorbs all bodies in its path, while matter begins to rotate around it, due to which the so-called acceleration disk is formed. A special feature is that it increases the rotation speed and moves closer to the center. It is the matter that falls into the middle of the black hole that emits x-ray radiation, and the matter itself is destroyed.

Binary star systems are the very first candidates for black hole status. In such systems it is most easy to find a black hole, due to the volume visible star You can also calculate the indicators of your invisible brother. Currently, the very first candidate for the status of a black hole may be a star from the constellation Cygnus, which actively emits X-rays.

Drawing a conclusion from all of the above about black holes, we can say that they are not so dangerous phenomena, of course, in the case of close proximity they are the most powerful objects in outer space due to the force of gravity. Therefore, we can say that they are not particularly different from other bodies; their main feature is a strong gravitational field.

A huge number of theories have been proposed regarding the purpose of black holes, some of which were even absurd. Thus, according to one of them, scientists believed that black holes can give birth to new galaxies. This theory is based on the fact that our world is a fairly favorable place for the origin of life, but if one of the factors changes, life would be impossible. Because of this, the singularity and features of change physical properties in black holes can give rise to a completely new Universe, which will be significantly different from ours. But this is only a theory and a rather weak one due to the fact that there is no evidence of such an effect of black holes.

As for black holes, not only can they absorb matter, but they can also evaporate. A similar phenomenon was proven several decades ago. This evaporation can cause the black hole to lose all its mass, and then disappear altogether.

All this is the smallest piece of information about black holes that you can find out on the portal website. We also own a huge amount interesting information about other cosmic phenomena.

A black hole is a special region in space. This is a certain accumulation of black matter, capable of drawing into itself and absorbing other objects in space. The phenomenon of black holes is still not. All available data are just theories and assumptions of scientists astronomers.

The name "black hole" was coined by the scientist J.A. Wheeler in 1968 at Princeton University.

There is a theory that black holes are stars, but unusual ones, like neutron ones. Black hole - - because it has very higher density glows and emits absolutely no radiation. Therefore, it is invisible neither in infrared, nor in x-rays, nor in radio rays.

The French astronomer P. Laplace discovered this situation 150 years before black holes. According to his arguments, if it has density, equal to density The Earth, and its diameter exceeds the diameter of the Sun by 250 times, then it does not allow rays of light to spread throughout the Universe due to its gravity, and therefore remains invisible. Thus, it is assumed that black holes are the most powerful emitting objects in the Universe, but they do not have a solid surface.

Properties of black holes

All supposed properties of black holes are based on the theory of relativity, derived in the 20th century by A. Einstein. Any traditional approach to studying this phenomenon does not provide any convincing explanation for the phenomenon of black holes.

The main property of a black hole is the ability to bend time and space. Any moving object caught in its gravitational field will inevitably be pulled in, because... in this case, a dense gravitational vortex, a kind of funnel, appears around the object. At the same time, the concept of time is transformed. Scientists, by calculation, are still inclined to conclude that black holes are not celestial bodies in the generally accepted sense. These are really some kind of holes, wormholes in time and space, capable of changing and densifying it.

A black hole is a closed region of space into which matter is compressed and from which nothing can escape, not even light.

According to astronomers' calculations, with the powerful gravitational field that exists inside black holes, not a single object can remain unharmed. It will instantly be torn into billions of pieces before it even gets inside. However, this does not exclude the possibility of exchanging particles and information with their help. And if a black hole has a mass at least a billion times greater than the mass of the Sun (supermassive), then it is theoretically possible for objects to move through it without being torn apart by gravity.

Of course, these are only theories, because scientists’ research is still too far from understanding what processes and capabilities black holes hide. It is quite possible that something similar could happen in the future.