= Astrophysical black hole
An astrophysical black hole is an astronomical object interpreted as a <black hole> through evidence about its <mass>, compactness and interaction with surrounding matter or <gravitational waves>. A <black hole> of stellar <mass> can form after <stellar core collapse>; a <supermassive black hole> can grow through <black-hole accretion> and mergers. The <event horizon> prevents light from escaping from within, but matter outside can radiate and reveal the central <gravity>. For <Sagittarius A*>, <astrometry> and <radial velocities> of nearby <stars> constrain a very large <mass> inside their small <orbits>. Such dynamical evidence complements observations of accretion and of <binary black holes>, which probe different aspects of the black-hole interpretation.<Measuring Distance and Properties of the Milky Way's Central Supermassive Black Hole with Stellar Orbits by Andrea M. Ghez and others>[Abstract: stellar-orbit constraints on the central compact mass and on extended dark matter]{ref}
Back to article page
