Black hole

A black hole is an object in space that is so massive that the escape velocity from its gravity, within a radius known as the event horizon, is greater than lightspeed. Since not even light can escape from a black hole, they can not be detected directly, but they can be detected by their effects on their surroundings. For instance, stars and other luminous objects may orbit around black holes. A star must be at least three solar masses for a black hole to form.

Black holes in Science Fiction

• The Black Hole, a 1979 Disney movie
• The Heechee Saga, a 1980's series of books by Frederik Pohl
• The Stargate TV show features the occasional black hole
• The eleventh Star Trek movie features a special material that causes black holes to form