Black Hole

Nothing escapes from a black hole, not even light, if you get too close.

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Black holes are mysterious things. Astronomers believe that a supermassive black hole is at the centre of every galaxy, but are not sure how they got there. Smaller black holes are made when big stars (much bigger and hotter than our Sun) explode at the end of their lives. The intense explosion squashes all the gas from the very centre of the star into such a dense ball that not even light can escape its gravity.

It is a misconception that black holes will gobble up everything in their path. Their gravitational pull is only deadly if you get too close. Further away, their gravitational pull will work in the same way as anything with the same mass. The point where this switch happens is called the Event Horizon.

Direct image of a supermassive black hole at the core of Messier 87, taken by the Event Horizon Telescope.