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.
Stay up-to-date on the latest space and astronomy news at https://astronomy.com/news. And make sure to follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyMagazine), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/astronomy.magazine/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/AstronomyMag).
