BLACK holes have long been a sci-fi favourite – but while they are one of the most well-known features of space, there is still a lot about the gravity giants that remains a mystery.
Our understanding of black holes has grown immensely in recent decades, and while there is still a lot to learn, we do now know a lot more about them – including how they eventually die.
Do black holes die?
Yes, black holes can die.
They are the last remains of dying stars, and their gravitational pull can grow to unthinkable levels.
But while they have the ability to destroy anything and everything in their path, eventually, this strength can also lead to their downfall.
What happens when black holes die?
When a black hole begins to evaporate, it steadily shrinks in size and loses its mass.
Supermassive black holes can survive far longer than the age of the universe[/caption]
As this process accelerates, the rate of particles escaping from the black hole also increases – before eventually erupting in an immense explosion of energy.
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How long do black holes live for?
While it is possible for a black hole to eventually die, don’t wait for it to happen anytime soon.
They can range from millions of times the size of our sun to smaller than a single atom, and are believed to be able to endure unfathomable amounts of time.
Essentially, the denser a black hole is, the longer it survives – meaning it could take trillions of times longer than the entire age of the universe for a supermassive black hole to fully evaporate.
What destroys a black hole?
In a sense, black holes destroy themselves.
They survive by eating up everything around them – including stars – but because of their colossal gravitational pull, black holes can cause their own undoing.
As huge masses of material is drawn in, the friction-build up generates heat – creating something called an event horizon.
Radiation then escapes the event horizon, which causes it to begin to evaporate, before eventually exploding in a colossal energy release.
