A black hole is something known to every fan of astronomy and science fiction. Many stories and movies have been told of people flying their spacecraft into a black hole and into the unknown that may or may not lie on the other side. But what exactly is this phenomenon?

A region of space from which nothing can escape (including light) is a black hole. It is the result of a deformation of space-time (a mathematical model that combines space and time into a single continuum), caused by a very compact mass. The reason that a black hole is called a "black" hole is because it absorbs all the light that hits it, giving off no reflection whatsoever.

While the interior seems virtually invisible when trying to view through satellites or a telescope, it's movement amongst other matter can make it seem virtually visible. Most astronomers can detect these holes by tracking the movement of the stars that surround it. When gas makes it ways to the blackhole, it spirals inward while heating to very high temperatures. That creates a large amount of radiation that can be picked up from telescopes that are orbiting the earth.

The black holes have an undetectable surface called an "event horizon". It marks what we consider to be the point of no return. Since we have yet to see anything pass through one of these phenomenon, it appears to transport stars, gasses, and other space matter into nothingness. It's one of the great mysteries of space, and something that astronomers and scientists will continue to study for years.

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