There are many things throughout the heavens, or the galaxies, or whatever one wants to refer to as outer space. Most are intriguing and are the subject of many studies. Among these are the black holes. Some individuals think that there is only one black hole, but science has shown that there are several, and there are four major categories.
What are Black Holes?
Black holes are a section of space where gravity sinks, because space is so dense, and as a result, a black hole or void is created. The gravity is so massive within a black hole that nothing can escape it including light. Anything which happens to get too close to a black hole will immediately be transformed by stretching and compressing, and this is referred to as spaghettification. The most significant danger that a black hole presents is its massive gravitational pull.
Four Types
The four types of black holes which have been discovered so far are:
- Stellar
- Intermediate
- Supermassive
- Miniature
The Stars and Black Holes
A star does not remain forever. They experience a stellar death. This is when a star becomes inflated, and its mass is lost. This causes the star to cool and becomes what is called a white dwarf. Stars come in different sizes. Some are ten to twenty times larger than the sun. These stars end up being either neutron stars or they become the stellar black holes. Something which was once so beautiful now turns into something that is ominous.
All Black Holes Are Not the Same
Supermassive black holes are believed to possess masses which would equate to billions of suns. They are often referred to as a cosmic monster. They are supposed to exist in the centers of the many different galaxies. In the center of the Milky Way, there is a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A. The size of this is astounding. Just imagine something being four million times the size of the sun that belongs to the earth, and you will know what the size of Sagittarius A is.
What is even more disturbing about black holes, is that they can continue to grow. Scientists believe that there are many tiny black holes as well, but to date, there is no definitive proof of these. The same applies to intermediate black holes.
While there is a lot known about black holes, there are still many misconceptions about them. This is why they are still a topic of study by many scientists. There is a lot of supposition as to whether planets could exist near black holes. This is a question of debate. Some scientists believe this could be possible depending on the distance between the black hole and the planet.
