Black Holes
Astrophysics
Gravity
Space-Time
Structure
Black holes consist of an event horizon (point of no return), singularity (infinite density center), accretion disk (swirling material), and jets (powerful radiation beams).
Types
Types include stellar black holes (3-65 solar masses), supermassive black holes (millions to billions of solar masses), intermediate, and theoretical primordial black holes.
Recent Discoveries
Major achievements include the first black hole image (M87*) in 2019, gravitational wave detection from mergers, and confirmation of Sagittarius A* at our galaxy's center.
Space-Time Effects
Black holes create time dilation near the event horizon, frame dragging from rotation, gravitational lensing, and theoretical Hawking radiation.