When we think of a black hole, we think of a massive, black, and empty space. You likely don’t think of them as a home for tiny organisms, but it turns out that they do exist. Astronomers have discovered that black holes are home to at least one tiny aquatic organism. Microscopic algae called Planktothrix Walsbyi was discovered by a team of astronomers led by Katrin Hoette from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.
Black holes are everywhere. Even black holes are hidden. If you look up at the sky at night, you’re sure to be awed by the glowing orbs that streak across the night sky. Whether you’re new to astronomy or an old pro, you’ve probably heard rumors about the black holes lurking in the universe. And the truth is, there are. Indeed, strange things are happening in the skies above us, but some of them just might surprise you. Here are a few interesting facts about black holes, including five things you probably didn’t know.
Blackholes don’t actually suck
Blackholes, or “unrealities,” are a fictional object that is popular in science fiction. They are depicted as dense objects that have gravitational forces so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape from its pull. However, scientists recently found that black holes actually don’t suck anything in; rather, they pull gravity in. They pull in more matter and energy than they emit.
The idea that black holes actually pull in a matter that then evaporates to nothing caused a bit of a stir back in 2018. But now, astronomers say this idea is actually wrong. While black holes do suck in the matter, they pull in matter and energy differently. Instead of sucking in the matter further and further away, like a black hole, they actually pull in a matter that is closer to the event horizon. (A black hole’s event horizon, or what’s sometimes called its “point of no return,” is the point at which not even light can escape.) Once captured, matter and energy fall into the black hole, so it does eventually just disappear, but it doesn’t evaporate into anything.
Black holes have the ability to create new universes
A black hole is a bottomless pit where not even light can escape. They lurk in space, invisible and unyielding. They are so mysterious, in fact, that not even theories can be proven. Some suggest black holes are impossible, but others claim they are, in fact, very real.
Black holes are some of the coolest objects in cosmology. They can suck in everything around them (including light), and in so doing, they can create entire universes at the same time as consuming them. As crazy as that might sound, it’s entirely possible—and theoretical physicists and astronomers have proposed many reasons why.
In 2016, scientists used gravitational waves to study one of the universe’s most mysterious objects—black holes. Black holes are the remnants of stars that exploded, and these explosions give birth to black holes. These monsters are gravitational powerhouses that pull in and draw in everything that comes near them, including light. Scientists have now found that these black holes can spawn new universes by swallowing nearby galaxies and stars.
Black holes generate more energy than our sun.
Black holes are one of the universe’s most fascinating objects. These invisible regions in space contain so much mass and gravity that nothing can escape their pull. Black holes are the basis of many theories of physics, and they are even theorized to emerge from the Big Bang itself. There’s a lot to learn about black holes, but one of the explanations that have caught our imagination recently is why a black hole generates more energy than our sun.
In 2013, a research paper made a surprising discovery: certain black holes actually generate more energy than the sun. Now, new findings have given theoretical physicists, even more, to gush about. The new research, published in Physical Review Letters, provides evidence that black holes can consume matter from surrounding space, which fuels the production of new particles and energy.
Black holes, which are believed to be the final resting spot for stars that have exhausted their fuel, are as mysterious as they are fascinating. Now, new research from NASA suggests that these cosmic phenomena may release more energy than our sun, according to Phys.org.