Infinity & Beyond — Episode 8: Black holes 101

This week, Abigail Bollenbach and Astronomy magazine present you with a crash course on some of the weirdest objects in the universe: black holes.
By | Published: September 24, 2020 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Black holes have long served as fodder for science fiction — and for good reason. These unimaginably dense objects contain so much matter trapped in such a small volume that their gravity is strong enough to prevent even light from escaping their surfaces.

Although the first prediction of a black hole was made nearly 250 years ago by the English philosopher and clergyman John Michell, the first black hole candidate, Cygnus X-1, wasn’t discovered until 1971. Since then, astronomers have tirelessly chipped away at countless questions related to these once-mythical beasts.

In this episode of Infinity & Beyond, join host Abigail Bollenbach as walks you through the basics of black holes.


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