Quick Q&A: What happens to the light that’s been sucked into a black hole?

Asked by: Ruth Dietrich

Once a particle of light (‘photon’) passes the ‘event horizon’ of a black hole, it can no longer escape, but there’s nothing to suggest that it is destroyed.

Like matter, the photon is rapidly sucked towards the ‘singularity’ at the centre of the black hole, where a huge mass is packed into an infinitely small space. What happens to photons at these extreme conditions, however, is one of physics’ big unanswered questions.

Read more:

• How big could a black hole get?
• If nothing can escape from a singularity, how did the Universe manage it?

Subscribe to BBC Science Focus Magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun facts.