Black holes are places in space where the strength of the gravitational force is so intense that it is able to stop light from escaping. Scientists were able to capture images of black holes and continue to learn more about them. Mostly, black holes are generated when a massive star dies as it explodes during a supernova. As it explodes, it leaves a dense black hole.

The idea of black holes was first introduced by John Michell in 1783. Michell used the ideas of Newton’s Third Law to suggest that black holes along with other objects may exist in the universe. Later, Albert Einstein developed a theory of relativity that stated that black holes can have masses many times that of the Sun and are usually in the center of most galaxies. 

Black holes are distributed into three main categories: stellar-mass, supermassive, and intermediate-mass. These classifications are decided depending on their mass. When a star is greater than about 20 times the Sun’s mass, the star breaks into a stellar-mass black hole. These black holes are able to gain mass through collisions with other black holes. Millions are contained in the Milky Way Galaxy. Also, intermediate-mass black holes are thought to have been created due to the collision between stellar-mass black holes. Another theory on how intermediate-mass black holes are created is that a sequence of star collisions in restricted star clusters builds a massive star and eventually collapses. Moreover, supermassive black holes are found in almost every substantial galaxy including the Milky Way Galaxy. These black holes are hundreds of thousands to a billion times the mass of the Sun. To this day, astronomers are continuing to learn more about black holes.

There is a popular belief that influenced public image that demonstrates black holes as dangerous, hazardous, and destructive. However, the Earth benefits from black holes. As of now, there are no black holes that are threatening the Earth or human life. For instance, the stellar explosions that create black holes distribute carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen into space. It also spreads elements like gold and platinum which are significant elements on Earth. Furthermore, supermassive black holes play a key role and help form galaxies too.

Scientists are constantly discovering new ideas and views on black holes. Black holes have been captivating and fascinating to astronomers for decades. Studying these black holes allows us to have insight of the universe and understand more objectives about gravity. Theories on black holes have been created and discovered by many different astronomers. In addition, these astronomers were able to uncover different types of black holes. Black holes have been constantly misconceived as being a risk to Earth, but we can utilize black holes to assist our life on Earth. As scientists continue to acquire knowledge on black holes, it inspires humans to grasp more information about black holes and eventually learn more about the universe.