What is a Black Hole?

In the article"Exploring Black Holes", by Merimee Koekemoer he stats black holes are creations due to stars running out of fuel. Once a star runs out of fuel it collapses forming a hole in the universe with a mass so large that light cannot even escape the gravitational pull. Koekemoer explains the speeds needed to escape the pull of a black hole, “…any form of electromagnetic radiation, nor any particle, no matter how energetic cannot escape.”(3). The size of a black hole is not limited to any size every time that the black hole consumes something it gains size and mass. Although it will eventually run out of planets due to the fact that it can only consume the planets within it gradational pull. The picture to the left is a picture of a star going supernova. This is the time at which it runs out of fuel and and creates a large explosion, the next thing that usally follows is the star collapsing on itself causing a black hole. the picture to the right is a black hole itself.

This article really helped me to comprehend the creation of black holes and why they form. It also answered many questions that I had about the forming and the power that a black hole has. The fact that the holes sizes are not limited is a scary thought to think of, considering that there is a black hole in the Milky Way (our galaxy). The thought light being bent around an object is a thought that is very tricky to grasp but this article did a great job of explaining it.

Koekemoer, Merimee. "Exploring Black Holes." NASA 2009: 12-15. Print.