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Stu21
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If only some stars become black holes what sets them apart from other stars, is it just size?
To be precise, rather than size, it is mass. Massive stars evolve to a supergiant star after it's main sequence. That's because of it's large mass, which ignites furthermore reactions and after the formation of iron, a supernova occurs. The leftover core may become a neutron star or a black hole, depending on it's mass.Stu21 said:If only some stars become black holes what sets them apart from other stars, is it just size?
Stu21 said:If only some stars become black holes what sets them apart from other stars, is it just size?
A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. This is due to the extreme density and compactness of matter within the black hole.
A star becomes a black hole when it runs out of nuclear fuel to burn and can no longer support its own weight. This causes the star to collapse under its own gravity, creating a black hole.
The star must be massive enough, at least three times the mass of our sun, to create enough gravitational force to overcome the nuclear forces that keep it from collapsing. It must also have used up all of its nuclear fuel, causing it to collapse and form a black hole.
No, only stars that are large enough and have used up all of their nuclear fuel have the potential to become black holes. Smaller stars, like our sun, may turn into white dwarfs or neutron stars instead.
Black holes cannot be detected directly because they do not emit any light. However, their presence can be inferred by observing the effects of their strong gravitational pull on nearby objects, such as stars and gas clouds. Scientists also use specialized instruments, such as X-ray telescopes and gravitational wave detectors, to indirectly detect and study black holes.