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What are White Holes? Do They Really Exist?

By Shiwani PandeyNovember 22, 2022
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List of White Hole Facts You Should Know

We all know what black holes are. They have been mentioned in science fiction movies and explained in classes. Do you know that white holes, the brother of black holes, can actually exist in the universe? They are exactly the opposite of each other.


White holes are born the same way. A collapsed star causes a huge disruption in the gravitation resulting in the formation of white holes. What are these things? Do they really exist? Let us learn what they are and then discuss some white hole facts.

What are White Holes?

To describe white holes, let us first take a look at a black hole. Black holes are formed from collapsed stars. When the gravitational force in a star increases considerably due to its collapse, it forms a black hole. It is black as it does not let even light pass or escape due to its heavy gravity. Black holes, thus, engulf everything on their way and do not let pass anything.


Now that we have an idea of what black holes are, let us proceed to know what white holes are. They are the exact opposite of black holes. As the name suggests, white holes are celestial structures that throw away everything they have inside them.


It means that a white hole will throw out light and matter inside it. This is why its colour is white. On the contrary, black holes do not let light escape. This is why they are black. You will be surprised to know that both these celestial bodies follow the same geometric and mathematical features and scientists are fascinated about them.


According to the white hole definition, these celestial formations are the theoretical time reversal of a black hole. Their existence has not been proved and is considered to be hypothetical.


One of the best examples to explain this new concept is the Big Bang. It was a classic white hole where everything was let out to form the universe. This is how a white hole formed. In white holes, you will not be able to enter as it throws out everything at a very high speed. On the other hand, you cannot escape from a black hole. Hence, a white hole is the theoretical twin of a black hole.


The Formation of a White Hole


The Formation of a White Hole

Interesting White Hole Facts

  1. Event Horizon

The event horizon is the notional boundary circling a black hole. It is the sphere beyond which there is no return. Similarly, a white hole will also have an event horizon. It will be the sphere of no admission as it throws out everything it has inside.

  1. Practically Not Possible

As per the universal laws of thermodynamics and entropy, the existence of a white hole is practically impossible. It will not exist but rather happen for a smaller period of time. Black holes can exist when stars collapse to form a tiny mass. White holes in space, on the other hand, show a violation of thermodynamics and entropy. Hence, even if they form, they will disappear very fast.

  1. Witnessing White Holes

Based on the theories and universal laws ruling the universe, scientists must have witnessed the formation of white holes in space as a gust of white light falling on their devices. The time span of such light bursts is very small when compared to the existence of a black hole in the universe.

  1. Theoretical Cosmic Regions

According to the white hole theory, they are theoretical cosmic regions showing exactly the opposite features of black holes. They are white as they emit everything from the inside and do not let anything enter.

  1. Connection to Time Travel

Several scientists believe that connecting two holes with a wormhole can help humans time travel. They will be able to travel faster than time and can cover cosmic distances faster. The prime concept behind this thought is that the two points are connected in time, not space, and time is a physical quantity.

  1. Absorption and Emission

According to Stephen Hawking, the absorption and emission of radiation occur at the same time. It all happens following the state of thermal equilibrium. This is one of the reasons why white holes are indistinguishable.

  1. Explosion Theory

According to Stephen Hsu, one of the noted physicists, this white hole theory suggests that white holes are not in the state of equilibrium. They are surrounded by empty vacuum space. This is why the absorption will be nil. It will result in the regurgitation of whatever is present inside the white holes, causing massive explosions.

  1. Thermal Energy

Now that we know what white hole in space is, we can clearly understand they throw out an immense amount of energy. Even though they hypothetically exist, the massive regurgitation of energy and mass will cause huge explosions. As mentioned earlier, the Big Bang is a white hole that resulted in the formation of the universe we live in.

Exploring the Unknown

As per the research conducted by Alon Retter and Shlomo Heller on 13th June 2006, they witnessed a huge burst of gamma rays. They named it GRB 060614 in May 2011 where GRB stands for Gamma Ray Burst.


This burst was caught in the satellite named SWIFT. It belongs to NASA. They concluded that it was associated with the supernova explosion and the formation of stars. This burst went on for 103 seconds and could be due to the formation of white holes.


We don’t know whether they exist or not. We know what is white hole in space and have theorised about it but its presence is not yet detectable. Who knows if we will be able to find the sibling of black holes someday and will be able to secure more information?