Formation and Nature of Black Holes Black holes originate from the collapse of massive stars, where nuclear fusion in their cores ceases upon forming iron. This imbalance causes a catastrophic implosion, leading to either neutron stars or black holes. A black hole's defining feature is its event horizon—beyond which nothing can escape—and at its core lies the enigmatic singularity with unknown properties. Contrary to popular belief, they don't "suck" objects but exert gravitational pull like any other mass.
Falling Into and Lifespan of Black Holes Approaching a black hole alters time perception; an external observer sees you freeze near the event horizon while you experience accelerated cosmic events. Inside, extreme gravity stretches your body into plasma or instantly terminates it depending on conditions. Sizes range from stellar-mass to supermassive ones like S5 0014+81 (40 billion solar masses). Over eons through Hawking radiation—a process involving virtual particles—black holes lose energy until evaporating entirely after unimaginable timescales.