How Do Black Holes Form?

Black holes are some of the most astounding and unnerving objects in the universe. In this video, Universe Today publisher Fraser Cain discusses how black holes form.

Black holes were first conceived in the 18th century by the geologist John Mitchell, but scientists didn’t believe they could actually exist until 1931, when the astronomer Chandrasekhar calculated that certain high mass stars might be able to collapse into black holes. Astronomers have since discovered black holes throughout the universe. Cain explains how black holes are formed by the collapse of the star due to its gravitational pull, or by the collision of dense objects like neutron stars.