Invisible and Mysterious, Black Holes Play an Important Role in The Universe

What springs to mind when you hear the term “black holes”? Eater, strong gravitation, point of no return are probably some of the renowned notions that describe black holes. An empty place with a powerful gravitational force, not letting anything that passes through it escape, makes black holes scary to imagine.

The forceful gravitation of black holes is due to their density formed by the catastrophic explosion of a dead star known as a supernova. The materials of the explosion packed into a tight gap, making the black holes dense. Be it a star, a planet, a spacecraft that goes over black holes’ event horizons will dissolve for escaping its area requires a speed faster than the speed of light.

What’s even terrifying is that black holes are invisible. From the natures and characteristics of black holes, they sound like demons. But despite their horrific nature and invisibility, black holes actually play a vital part in the cosmos, benefiting their surroundings.

Why black holes are important in the universe

1 – Thanks to stellar explosions

Black holes were born from phenomena called stellar explosions, or as previously mentioned, supernovae (plural of supernova). It happened when something in space five times the mass of the Sun and a million times that of the Earth exploded. This phenomenon undeniably spewed millions of elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. 

Gold and platinum were also among the heavier elements expelled by the explosion. Those elements then spread as a result of collisions between black holes and neutron stars. The air that humans breathe, the fuel of rockets that now help explore space, a man’s wealth of gold, all of those originally came from a dead star that burst in outer space.

Those substances, generated by the birth and activities of black holes, are responsible for the evolution of our planet. And perhaps, without their being in the first place, neither Earth nor humans would have existed in this universe.

Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

2 – Star formation within galaxies

Among all types of black holes, the supermassive is one of the most feared. Furthermore, a supermassive black hole often emits tremendous radiation rays of destruction, known as jets. While it is true that a star passing close to a black hole can be spaghettified –vertically stretched and horizontally squeezed– the supermassive black hole effectively helps in the birth of new stars. 

These newly-generated stars are not in galaxies where the supermassive black holes perch. They are in tiny satellite galaxies on the periphery of the massive galaxies. More than a hundred thousand satellite galaxies surround tens of thousands of the massive galaxies, which feature a supermassive black hole at the center, as astronomers found. 

The unleashed energy from the core supermassive black hole can cause chaos. However, it can also hurl out intergalactic gas in the direction of the radiation beam, propelling the gas away onto the galaxy’s edge and forming gas bubbles. The formation of new stars then takes place when the tiny satellite galaxies cross the bubbles. 

Gas is necessary for the formation of new stars. While blowing out the gas, the jets of the supermassive black hole clean out the intergalactic way so that the tiny satellites passing by do not get affected by the supermassive black hole itself. Instead, this activity ensures the ongoing development of the new stars.

3 – Contribution to the performance of the galaxy

The black hole at the heart of a galaxy allows it to develop in our solar system. Not only does the black hole’s gravitational force tug the galaxy’s arms, allowing it to run as it should, but it also keeps the stars and materials in the solar system in their proper positions. 

Additionally, gravitation would not exist if black holes were not there in the first place, so there is no ground on how a star can form, let alone the fact that the stars would still be in the same galaxy.

NASA

4 – Research materials and technological advances

Knowledge is one of the things that humans gain nowadays. Any knowledge has the objective of making life more meaningful, and science is one of the knowledge that has a significant influence on human existence since science itself is omnipresent. 

It’s as crucial in understanding how the components of this universe work as it is in experiencing the life that sprang from its creation. In this case, it is a black hole, which without this invisible object up there, researchers wouldn’t gain a proper understanding of gravitation, which is fundamental to a great extent. 

The black hole study also gave rise to remarkable technology. The urge to learn more and impart information to humanity drives researchers and astronomers to develop technology that enables them to research celestial phenomena that the naked eye cannot see, especially the invisible black holes. 

So indeed, every creation and existence in this universe serves a purpose, and as the famous saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover.

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