How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the mass of the black hole in solar masses. One solar mass is approximately the mass of our Sun (1.989 × 10³⁰ kg).
- Check the "Convert to kilograms" box if you prefer to input the mass directly in kilograms.
- Click the "Calculate" button to compute the Schwarzschild radius.
- The calculator will display the radius in both meters and kilometers, along with the formula used for the calculation.
Understanding the Schwarzschild Radius
The Schwarzschild radius is the radius of the event horizon of a non-rotating black hole. It represents the boundary beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape the gravitational pull of the black hole.
For example, if you were to compress the entire mass of our Sun into a sphere with this radius, it would form a black hole. The Schwarzschild radius for the Sun is approximately 2.95 km.
Interesting Facts
- The radius of a black hole increases as its mass increases. For instance, a black hole with 10 solar masses would have an event horizon about 29.5 km across.
- The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy (Sagittarius A*) has a mass of about 4 million solar masses, giving it an event horizon about 12 million km across.
- For comparison, Earth's mass is about 3 × 10⁻⁶ solar masses, resulting in a Schwarzschild radius of about 9 × 10⁻³⁴ meters - far smaller than an atom.