... that a cold and sufficiently massive star must collapse indefinitely, becoming a black hole. Oppenheimer and Snyder could have never figured this out without the earlier work of Einstein and his general theory of relativity, which states that nothing can travel at the speed of light or faster. Further studies were taken by a German astronomer, Karl Schwarzchild. Using Einstein's equations as a guide, he found that the effects ... defined, and vice-versa. If a particle is in a black hole, its position is well-defined to be within the black hole. This means that its speed cannot be exactl...

• Word Count: 3023
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... and more powerful. The most defining quality of a black hole is its emission of gravitational waves so strong they can cause light to bend toward it. Gravitational waves are disturbances in the curvature of space-time caused by the motions of matter. Propagating at (or near) the speed of light, gravitational waves do not through space-time as such -- the fabric of space-time itself is oscillating. Though ... The first scientists to really take an in depth look at black holes and the collapsing of stars, were professor Robert Oppenheimer and his student, Hartland Snyder, in the early nin...

• Word Count: 3068
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School