Astronauts
Astronomy
Constellation
Deep Sky Objects
Moon
Stargazing
Telescope
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Accuracy & Corrections Terms & Condition
COPYRIGHT. All contents of on the site comporting the StarLust branding are Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
STARLUST.ORG / ASTRONOMY

white hole vs black hole

In this article, we discuss the differences between white holes and black holes, two mind-boggling objects in space.
UPDATED AUG 8, 2024
artist rendition of white hole
artist rendition of white hole

The universe is full of mysteries. One of the most fascinating objects is perhaps the most well-known astronomical object: a black hole. They are regions of space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. White holes, on the other hand, are hypothetical objects; we have never seen one. They are supposedly the "opposite" of black holes: regions of space where matter can exit, but nothing can enter.

In this article, we will look at the differences between black holes and white holes. However, please keep in mind that we have never confirmed the existence of white holes, and everything we know about them is based on theory.

What are black holes?

Black holes are formed when massive stars collapse in on themselves. The gravitational pull of the stars' mass is so strong that it creates a "point of no return" known as the event horizon. This is the point beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape the black hole.

The event horizon is also the point where the black hole's mass is compressed into an infinitely small point, known as the singularity. The singularity is often described as a tear in space-time, the very fabric of the universe, as it is so dense that the laws of physics as we know them to break down.

Black holes are powerful objects, and their gravity greatly affects the surrounding space. For example, it is thought that every large galaxy in the universe has a supermassive black hole in its core.

Interesting facts about black holes

  • It's impossible to directly observe a black hole.
  • Black holes affect time too. For example, if you were to fall into a black hole, time would slow down for you.
  • Our own milky way could host over 100 million black holes.
  • Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of black holes in 1916
  • The first black hole, Cygnus X-1, was discovered in 1964.
  • The first image of a black hole was captured in 2019.
  • One out of every thousand stars is massive enough to become a black hole.
  • The closest black hole to Earth is called "The Unicorn". It is located about 1,500 light-years away from us.
  • Black holes can swallow anything that gets too close to them, including moons, planets and entire stars.
  • Two black holes can merge to form an even bigger black hole.
  • Colliding black holes generate an incredible amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves that propagate through space-time.
  • There are four types of black holes: stellar, intermediate, supermassive, and micro.
  • If you fell into a black hole, you would die by spaghettification.
  • We don't know what's on the other side of a black hole, nor if there is one.
black hole description graphic
black hole description graphic

What are white holes?

White holes are hypothetical objects; we have never seen one. They are supposedly the "opposite" of black holes: regions of space where matter can exit, but nothing can enter.

In many science-fiction stories, white holes are used as a way to travel through time or to other parts of the universe. They are called wormholes or Einstein-Rosen bridges. In reality, it is highly unlikely that white holes are just the other end of black holes. And since we have never really proved their existence, many theories about white holes are just speculation.

Some believe that white holes are what black holes become after they have completely evaporated, which can take trillions of years. Others have posited that the big bang happened from a white hole and an absurd amount of matter and energy were ejected from it.

White holes are a cosmic phenomenon that can be explained theoretically and mathematically, but they just don't fit what we know of reality, yet. The main block that comes from the 2nd law of thermodynamics: "the state of entropy of the entire universe, as an isolated system, will always increase over time". Since white holes spew out matter and energy into the universe, it violates that law...

Summary of the differences between a black hole and a white hole

  • Black holes have been proven to exist, while white holes remain hypothetical.
  • Black holes are regions of space where matter can enter while white holes are regions of space where nothing can enter.
  • A black hole has an event horizon beyond which nothing can escape, whereas a white hole has an event horizon that can never be crossed, ever.
  • In a black hole, the flow of spacetime goes inward from the universe, but for a white hole, it goes outwards into the universe.
  • Things that fall into a black hole can affect its interior, whilst nothing can affect the interior of a white hole.
black hole and white hole graphic
black hole and white hole graphic

What would happen if a black hole and a white hole collided?

You might have heard of two black holes merging together back in 2015 when LIGO first detected gravitational waves. When two black holes collide, the merging event emits a huge amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves. And the two black holes become one bigger black hole.

But what if a black hole and a white hole were to collide? No one really knows for sure. Some scientists believe that the black hole would swallow the white hole, as it would be impossible for the black hole to enter the white hole. Now, weirder things might happen depending on the mass and size of the two objects.

In the below video, James from the Action Lab YouTube channel explains in more detail the different scenarios that could play out.

What happens if the black hole is more massive? What happens if the white hole is more massive? and what if they have a similar mass?

We just don't know yet. And that's the beauty of science, there are always more questions than answers. So, we keep exploring, learning and expanding our horizons. Hopefully, one day we might be able to answer these questions and unlock the mysteries of the universe. Odds of this happening during our lifetime? Very slim. But it's still fun to think about.

MORE ON STAR LUST
The mission, named Starlink 17-1, sent 24 broadband internet satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.
12 hours ago
A Falcon 9 rocket launched the SpaceX Starlink missions from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
1 day ago
The launch took place amid the talks of replacing the Minuteman III ICBM with the LGM-35 Sentinel.
2 days ago
In an announcement in the Oval Office alongside the Secretary of Defense, Trump revealed his plans for the $175 billion program.
5 days ago
A local environmental advocacy group highlights through several letters how increased launches will impact the flora and fauna.
5 days ago
The Discriminating Space Sensor (DSS) is being developed to greatly enhance the capability to differentiate real missile threats from irrelevant clutter.
6 days ago
SpaceX's increased launch approval from the FAA mandates environmental monitoring in collaboration with wildlife experts.
7 days ago
Acting NASA chief Janet Petro addresses the successful Blue Ghost Moon Mission and the touchdown of the private lunar lander.
May 20, 2025
On May 14 at Spaceport America in New Mexico, a subscale rocket powered by Venus Aerospace's Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) successfully launched at 9:37 a.m.
May 19, 2025
These technologies have recorded incredible progress for space applications.
May 17, 2025
Josef Aschbacher lauded the ESA for achieving leadership roles in some space fields despite less being spent on it compared to the U.S. and China.
May 17, 2025
Musk has announced that he will detail SpaceX's Mars plan before the launch of the Starship flight in Starbase.
May 16, 2025
The companies will work collectively to build a secure military and commercial communication network.
May 15, 2025
A 'static fire' test for an extended period was conducted with a Starship upper stage at the Starbase site in South Texas.
May 15, 2025
The startup that builds solid rocket motors will use the funding to complete construction of a new 'energetics campus' outside Austin in Texas.
May 14, 2025
This move reverses the earlier indications that the NSC might be dissolved. 
May 14, 2025
NASA’s second super-pressure balloon floated over the country’s North Island by following its wind pattern before moving away.
May 14, 2025
NASA has canceled its commercial partnership plan for the VIPER moon rover launch and will pursue 'alternative approaches' instead.
May 12, 2025
If someone were orbiting the Moon, an observer on Earth would think they're 168 football fields away from the correct location.
May 10, 2025
SpaceX is now allowed to conduct up to 25 Starship launches and landings in a year, compared to the previous 5.
May 9, 2025