Black Holes

            
             In this day in age where we can scientifically explain virtually everything in the world, it is very difficult to believe that there is anything that is still a mystery. When scientists are looking for something new to discover or research, where do they turn? One of the last remaining mysteries in the Universe are black holes. These super-dense bodies in the Universe leave a lot to be discovered. We have basic theories on what we believe happens to black holes and how they are formed; however, no one knows the real truth about black holes and we may ever know. These "galactic wells" are quite possibly how the Universe formed and how the Universe might end. They hold the information to understand exactly how the Universe started. Black Holes are very interesting to study and there is a lot of information about them; however, there is still a lot more to be learned about them.
             First, to understand a black hole, you must understand exactly how they are formed. A black hole is formed when a large star known as a super-giant reaches the end of its life. When it reaches this point it starts to dilate. It does this because it collapses in on itself because there is too much iron in its core. After a while it becomes to tightly packed with gas and expands. Super giants can do this for thousands or even millions of years. Then when the proportion of iron in the core gets large enough, the star explodes; this is known as a supernova (Schweighauser 148). From there, the star can take one of two paths. In the first path, the star becomes a pulsar. This is when the protons and electrons are smashed together so hard that they make neutrons. The Neutron Star then emits beams of light out of both its poles. This is known as a pulsar: these stars do this for about a million years and then they become Neutron Stars that no longer pulse. Another path that the star can take after the supernova is a much more violent one.