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A Star Becomes a Black Hole
Age 13 · Astronomy
A very massive star can run out of fuel and collapse. Its outer layers blast away, and the core can shrink into a tiny, extremely dense black hole.
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Age 13: open this week
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In the picture
- The massive star: a huge, hot ball of glowing gas.
- The collapsing core: a small dense center sinking inward.
- The expanding cloud: hot gas thrown outward from the star.
- The tiny bright point: an extremely small, dense remnant left by the core.
- The dimple around the point: a deep dip in the background.
Examples
- A bowling ball on a trampoline makes a dip in the fabric, like the dimple around a black hole.
- A snowball squeezed in your hand gets smaller and denser.
Key takeaways
- A massive star can leave behind a stellar black hole after a supernova.
- A stellar black hole is extremely small and dense, and it warps space around it.
Quiz: A Star Becomes a Black Hole (Age 13)
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What can a very massive star leave behind after a supernova?
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What is a stellar black hole like?
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What happens to the core of a massive star during the collapse?
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