What Happens to Light When It Escapes a Black Hole?

Imagine a black hole as an extremely strong vacuum cleaner in space. Light is like the dust flying around, it can't get far before being sucked up. But sometimes, light can escape, especially if it's near the edge of the black hole. This escaping light helps us see what’s going on inside the black hole.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. Light that falls off a cliff near a black hole might escape
  2. A ray of sunlight might break free after being caught by a black hole’s gravity
  3. Light dancing around a black hole can slip away like a sneaky guest

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity