An artist’s depiction of GRB 221009A, potentially marking the beginning of a black hole.Image: NASA/Swift/Cruz deWildeBlack holes. Despite their names, the enigmatic objects are opposite of vacuous. They are some of the universe’s densest objects, with masses ranging from the size of stars to several hundred million stars. Their gravitational fields are so intense that not even light can escape them at a certain point, leaving us hopelessly guessing at how reality manifests itself beyond their event horizons.
It’s no wonder, then, that black holes capture the imagination. They are confounding, thrilling, and full of secrets we’ve yet to learn about physics and space. So without further ado, let’s delve into some facets of black holes you may not have been aware of before.
