What is a Black Hole?

A black hole is a cosmic body in a space-time region where the gravitational pull is so strong that particles or electromagnetic radiation such as light cannot escape from it. The Black Holes are formed upon dead stars. When such stars had exhausted the thermonuclear fuels of their core at the end of their life, the core becomes unstable and gravitationally collapses inward upon itself, causing the outer layers of the star to tear apart The inner ring of the black hole where the object’s mass lies is known as its singularity. Albert Einstein had calculated the structure of the black hole in his “general theory of relativity”. It has a boundary of no escape called the event horizon. The radius of the event horizon is called the Schwarzschild radius, named after German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild who discovered the existence of collapsed stellar bodies that emit no radiation in the year 1916. But, there are few conspiracy theories which claim their own version of Black hole.

• Conspiracy – Black Hole is visible to the naked eye?

Fact – No

Many conspiracy theories asserted that Black holes are visible to the naked eye and can approach earth faster than the speed of light. But, in reality, a black hole is an ideal black body, as it reflects no light. In layman’s terms, a black hole is a place in space where the gravitational pull is so much that makes the matter compress into a tiny space. The event horizon of the black hole is the boundary of the black hole. Once a particle crosses the event horizon, it cannot leave due to Gravity being constant across the event horizon. However, black holes are not visible to the naked eye, special telescopes and tools are required to see and find black holes.

• Conspiracy – Will Earth be swallowed by a Black Hole?

Fact – No

Conspiracy theories claim that Black holes go around in search of stars moons and planets to swallow them to feed themselves. Fortunately, the black holes follow the laws of gravity just like any other object in space. Our sun is the biggest star in our solar system. If a black hole is equal to the size of the sun which can replace it. Don’t worry; the earth will not be consumed by the black hole as it would have the same gravity as the sun. However, there are ways where the earth could be swallowed by a black hole. Black hole creates an effect called ‘spaghettification’. This effect will cause if a planet or any object stays too close to a black hole, it will stretch out like spaghetti. If the black hole approaches too close to the earth, its strong gravitational pull would twist and turn the planet like spaghetti and can emit strong radiation which would fry us.

• Conspiracy – Will the sun turn into a Black Hole?

Fact – No

The sun may not turn into a black hole because it does not have the required mass to explode into a black hole. After Billions of Years, when the sun would be at the end of its life, it would become a giant red star. It would throw off its outer layers and turn into a glowing ring of gas called planetary nebula causing the giant star to become a white cooling dwarf star. But the sun will never turn into a black hole. The sun is not huge enough to make a black hole. Even if the sun becomes a black hole, instead of revolving around the sun the earth would be revolving around the black hole. Instead of warm sunlight, we would be getting freezing cold weather and a pitch-black environment where we can’t see our moon or other planets. But, don’t worry. Because the black hole would be so small that we would hardly feel any difference. Even if the sun explodes and forms a black hole it would be a tiny solar black hole. Humans might survive underground with the help of geothermal energy for generating electricity and heat.

• Conspiracy – The Black Hole will never die?

Fact – No

In the 1970s, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking made a remarkable discovery in quantum mechanics that black holes eventually dissolve. Yes, they will dissolve. How? Every once in a while the particle pops into existence near an event horizon causing it to fall in and escape free. Unable to collide with each other, they slowly evaporate as they appear to glow. However, this will happen after eons. There are four types of black holes: stellar, intermediate, supermassive, and miniature. Hawking radiation is thermal radiation that could be available near the event horizon with the help of relativistic quantum effects. Hawking radiation can reduce the mass and rotational energy of black holes causing them to shrink their size and ultimately disappear.

• Conspiracy – Are Black Hole and Worm Hole is same?

Fact – No

A Worm Hole is a channel that helps in transporting space objects. A black hole is a cosmic body that sucks every possible object which comes in its way. A wormhole is a neck-shaped tunnel that channels the objects to the other end out. In simple terms, a wormhole is a tunnel that transports the objects sucked by a black hole and dumps them through a white hole.  A white hole is an exterior vent where it disposes of its matters and other things in space that the black hole has swallowed or sucked. However, the white hole theory is just the opposite of the black hole as scientists have never seen one or even the hints that they may exist.

• Conspiracy – The Black Hole is formed on planets?

Fact – No

• • Most conspiracy theories believe that black holes are feed upon dead planets and stars which eventually grow big enough to consume living planets and stars and will approach any planet at the speed of light. That’s not much true.
  • Black holes are formed from the remains of a large star that dies in a supernova explosion. But the smaller stars will become dense neutron stars, which are not massive enough to capture light. Scientists can’t directly perceive black using telescopes with x-rays, the light of other forms of electromagnetic radiation. They can’t see black holes the way they can see the planets, stars, and other objects in space. Instead, they detect the radiation of the black holes which emit dust and gas. They can infer the presence of the black holes by their powerful gamma-ray burst.