Dear Diary, I was watching a TV show last night with my family. It was about black holes.
The show said a black hole is a big hole in the universe. A hole in the universe? Impossible. But if it's true, then I want to see it and maybe go into it. But my dad said...
You can't do that.
Why not?
Well, um... You should ask your teacher.
So this morning, I did.
Good morning, Marie.
Good morning, Miss Sato. Can I go in a black hole?
Well, yes, you can go inside.
I can?
Yes, but you won't be able to get out.
What do you mean?
Do you want to go into a big black hole or a small one?
The small one?
OK, a black hole has the power to pull anything inside it. That power is stronger as you get closer to the center. The distance from the edge to the center is short in a small black hole.
So the power of the black hole is really strong from the beginning. If someone tried to go into a small black hole, that person would be quickly pulled toward the center. They would become long and stretched out like a spaghetti noodle.
I don't want to become a noodle. How about a big black hole?
Before I answer that question, do you know about a black hole in the galaxy called M87?
No, Miss Sato.
Scientists from around the world worked together and they were able to take a photograph of its shadow in 2019. It's a very, very big black hole. It weighs 6.5 billion times more than the sun.
Wow!
If a black hole is really big, then maybe you can go inside it and travel toward the center.
It sounds exciting!
I thought so too. But you can't come back from that trip.
Why?
The center of the black hole is the strongest, remember? It has the power to crush anything. So if you reached the center, your body would be crushed flat.
So the big black hole is dangerous too. I am going to die in either of them. Can I at least see a black hole?
Marie, it pulls in everything, even light. So it's a very dark place. So no, you can't see it. But you can see the galaxy M87 that has a black hole in it. Do you have a telescope, Marie?
Yes, I do!
I came home and told my dad everything. We decided to look for M87 tonight!