Question: What is behind black holes?
Thomas
Reply: There is nothing specific “behind” black holes, it just cannot be seen: it is hidden by what is called the “horizon” of a black hole, a space from which no light can escape. This is why we don’t see what is behind it, but for the most part it is only a part of the universe like everyone else.
So why don’t we see it? This is because all objects distort the surrounding space a little, and because of this, they “deflect” the light. In the vast majority of cases, it is completely impossible to see the effect with the eyes because it is so weak. But in the case of some really very massive objects – even a planet is not enough, it requires at least a star – it can make a “visible” difference. The denser and more massive the object, the more pronounced the curvature.
Now imagine a piece of string that you were going to place directly on the ground, and imagine that it is a beam of light traveling straight ahead. If the ray passes by a star, the thread will not be straight, but will bend. And if the thread touches a more massive star, then the thread will be more bend. A third star larger and denser? The thread bends over. And if we continue to bend it this way, it will eventually happen: both ends of the thread will touch! This means that the ray of light can no longer travel anywhere.
This is what happens as light passes close to the black hole: the space around it is so curved that not only is the light deflected, but it is completely “captured”. This is what makes you see a “black dot,” so to speak, when you observe it, but that does not mean that the space behind you has anything special.
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