Black Hole
A region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light or other electromagnetic waves, can escape from it.
Black holes are characterized by their event horizon, the boundary beyond which escape is impossible. They come in various sizes, from stellar-mass black holes (formed from supernovae) to supermassive black holes (found at the centers of galaxies).
Commonly confused with
- Wormhole: A black hole is a region of extreme gravity from which nothing can escape. A wormhole is a hypothetical 'shortcut' through spacetime, potentially connecting two distant points, and is not necessarily a region of inescapable gravity.
Collocations
- supermassive black hole
- stellar black hole
- event horizon
- black hole merger
- black hole singularity
Idioms & expressions
- a black hole for money/time
Example sentences
- "Scientists recently captured the first image of a black hole, revealing its shadow against a backdrop of glowing gas." Describing a cosmic phenomenon.
- "The immense gravitational pull of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy influences the orbits of nearby stars." Explaining gravitational effects.
Memory hook
It's a 'BLACK' (no light escapes) 'HOLE' (a region of space). Dark Gravity Well
When not to use
Do not use 'black hole' metaphorically for any situation where something is lost or consumed, unless the context clearly implies an inescapable, all-consuming force. It's a specific astronomical term.
Fun facts
- The closest known black hole to Earth is Gaia BH1, about 1,560 light-years away.
- Stephen Hawking theorized that black holes emit 'Hawking radiation,' meaning they can eventually evaporate, though this process would take an incredibly long time.
Related words
Also appears in
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.