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Whose Theory First Predicted Black Holes?
physicsastronomy
Quick Answer
Karl Schwarzschild derived the first black-hole solution from Einstein's general relativity in 1916.
The Full Story
German physicist Karl Schwarzschild found the first exact solution to Einstein's field equations of general relativity in January 1916, just weeks after the theory was published. His solution described a point mass surrounded by a boundary (the "Schwarzschild radius" or event horizon) beyond which nothing, not even light, could escape. The term "black hole" was popularised by physicist John Wheeler in 1967. The first direct image of a black hole's shadow was captured in 2019 by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration.
Key Facts
1.Schwarzschild derived his solution while serving on the Eastern Front in World War I.
2.He died of an autoimmune disease just months later, at age 42.
3.The 2019 image showed the supermassive black hole at the centre of galaxy M87.
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The Man Who Predicted Black Holes — Karl Schwarzschild"