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⚫ Black Holes

Event horizons, singularities, and the first-ever photo of a black hole.

3
lessons
~30 min
to learn
🔬 Science
subject
Teens
level
Start the course →

What you’ll learn

  1. Define a black hole and explain the event horizon, Schwarzschild radius, and singularity.A black hole is a region where gravity traps even light. The event horizon is the point of no return, its size set by the Schwarzschild radius, and a singularity is predicted at its center.
  2. Explain how black holes form, describe supermassive black holes, and how they are detected and imaged.Stellar-mass black holes form from collapsing massive stars, while supermassive ones like Sagittarius A* anchor galaxies. Astronomers detect them indirectly and captured the first images with the Event Horizon Telescope.
  3. Describe gravitational time dilation, gravitational waves, Hawking radiation, and why black holes matter.Black holes slow time, generate gravitational waves when they merge, and may slowly evaporate via Hawking radiation. They serve as extreme laboratories that test and push the limits of physics.

Questions this course answers

What is the event horizon of a black hole?

The event horizon is the boundary beyond which not even light can escape a black hole.

What does the Schwarzschild radius define?

The Schwarzschild radius is the radius of the event horizon, set by the black hole's mass.

What is predicted at the very center of a black hole?

Theory predicts a singularity, a point of extreme density where known physics breaks down.

How do most known black holes form?

Stellar-mass black holes form when very massive stars run out of fuel and their cores collapse.

What is the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center called?

Sagittarius A*, with about 4.3 million solar masses, sits at the center of our galaxy.

When was the first image of Sagittarius A* released?

The Event Horizon Telescope released the first image of Sagittarius A* on May 12, 2022.

Grounded in trusted sources

  • "Sagittarius A*," Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A*)
  • NASA JPL Education, "Telescopes Get Extraordinary View of Milky Way's Black Hole" (jpl.nasa.gov/edu)
  • Modern Physics, "Schwarzschild Radius: Essentials, Formulas & Implications" (modern-physics.org)
  • Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration image releases (M87, 2019; Sgr A*, May 12, 2022)
  • NASA Science, "Black Holes" (science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes)

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