5 Facts about Black Holes We Bet You Didn't Know

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It's Black Hole week

Black Hole week started on May 6 and will go on till May 10. During this period, scientists and astronomy enthusiasts across the world have been sharing news, videos, and social media posts about black holes. According to NASA, a black hole is the most mysterious cosmic object which has been vastly studied but never fully understood. Here are five facts about black holes that will blow your mind.

Fact 1: Millions, Quintillions of Black Holes

There are millions of black holes in our Milky Way galaxy and around 40 quintillion in the entire universe. Till now, scientists have only discovered a few black holes. These objects are millions, perhaps billions of light years away from us. The closest known black hole to Earth is Gaia BH1- around 1,600 light years away. But this is still a humongous distance.

Fact 2: Nothing Escapes a Black Hole

Black holes have extreme gravity and nothing can escape them, not even light.

Fact 3: What Happens if You Fall into a Black Hole?

This scenario is not realistic and only happens in space movies or shows. But if it were to happen, you would get sucked into a black hole and never escape it.

Fact 4: Types of Black Holes

Black holes are categorised into four types - Primordial, Stellar-mass, Intermediate-mass, and Supermassive black holes.

Fact 5: Which is the Biggest Black Hole?

Scientists have said that TON-618 is the biggest black hole in the universe with a mass of 66 billion solar masses. However, unverified claims by astronomy enthusiasts suggest that Phoenix-A is the largest black hole with a mass of 100 billion suns.