Black holes

Question

Black holes

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Black holes are indeed the collapsed remnants of giant stars. After exhausting their nuclear fuel, massive stars undergo a catastrophic collapse under their own gravity, leading to the formation of black holes. This process is consistent with the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity, not his special theory of relativity, which deals with the physics of motion and the speed of light in the absence of gravity. Black holes are not violations of general relativity; in fact, their existence is a direct prediction of the theory. They are not gaps in space but rather regions of extremely dense matter, where the gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape. Black holes can be detected indirectly in binary star systems by observing their gravitational effects on their companion stars, such as significant orbital motion that cannot be accounted for by visible objects alone.

Black Holes