BLACK HOLE - THEORY OR FACT?

Yes, it’s a fact. While black holes were initially a theoretical concept, they are now widely accepted as real astronomical objects based on both theoretical predictions and observational evidence. The concept of a black hole originated from the general theory of relativity proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915. According to this theory, black holes are regions in spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from them once it has passed a certain point called the event horizon.

While black holes were initially considered purely theoretical, there is now substantial observational evidence supporting their existence. Astronomers have detected and studied black holes indirectly through their gravitational effects on nearby objects. They have observed the gravitational influence of black holes on stars and gas clouds, as well as the powerful jets of energy emitted by matter falling into them.

In addition, in April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration released the first-ever direct image of a black hole. The image captured the supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, located about 55 million light-years away from Earth. This groundbreaking achievement provided visual confirmation of the existence of black holes and further validated the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity.