A black hole is an object in space that has a force of gravity so strong that it prevents light from escaping and can even suck in matter. Black holes can be a variety of sizes, from small black holes from collapsed stars to enormous black holes within the center of galaxy systems. There is evidence that black holes exist near Earth. The Milky Way Galaxy may contain hundreds of black holes, ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 times the mass of the Sun.
More about black holes:
- Scientists believe that black holes are actually fossils from the time period before the current solar system existed.
- Located in the constellation Scorpius in the Milky Way Galaxy, IGR J17091-3624 is one of the smallest black holes ever discovered. Its mass is about three times that of the Sun.
- The wind speeds coming from the black hole IGR J17091-3624 can exceed 20 million miles per hour (32 million km/hr).