How a Black Hole Forms — Reading Comprehension

Have you ever wondered about the most mysterious objects in space? One of them is a black hole. A black hole is a region in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. But how do these incredible cosmic giants form?

The journey to becoming a black hole usually begins with a very, very big star. Not just any star, but a massive star – one that is at least 10 to 20 times larger than our Sun. These giant stars burn through their fuel, mostly hydrogen, at an incredibly fast rate. Think of it like a huge bonfire that uses up wood very quickly.

As a massive star ages, it starts to run out of its nuclear fuel. When the fuel is gone, the star can no longer create enough outward pressure to support its own weight. Gravity, the force that pulls things together, takes over. Without the outward push, the star begins to collapse in on itself. This collapse is very quick and powerful, leading to a massive explosion called a supernova. A supernova is one of the brightest events in the universe, briefly outshining entire galaxies!

What happens after the supernova depends on the original star's mass. If the leftover core of the star is still very heavy, typically more than about three times the mass of our Sun, gravity continues its relentless pull. It squeezes all the remaining matter into an incredibly small space, making it super dense. This point of infinite density is called a singularity. Around the singularity is an invisible boundary called the event horizon. Once anything crosses the event horizon, it cannot escape the black hole's gravity.

So, in short, black holes are formed from the death of massive stars. Their incredible gravity is a result of a huge amount of matter being packed into a tiny space. Understanding how black holes form helps us learn more about the life cycles of stars and the powerful force of gravity in our universe.

Interesting Fact: The closest known black hole to Earth is called Gaia BH1, located about 1,560 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus.

What force pulls matter together?

What is an event horizon?

True or False: All stars become black holes.

Which word means 'a very large star'?

Why do massive stars collapse?

What happens after a star runs out of fuel?

What is created if a supernova's core is very heavy?

Why can't light escape a black hole?

If a star is not massive, what might happen?

What is the key factor in black hole formation?