Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist known for her science communication, often expresses a preference for the term “compact object” when referring to what are commonly known as black holes. This substitution is not a rejection of the established scientific understanding of these celestial bodies, but rather a nuanced choice reflecting a broader perspective on their nature.
The preference for “compact object” stems from the fact that the term “black hole” can be misleading. It emphasizes only one aspect of these objects their capacity to trap light potentially obscuring their other significant properties, such as their mass, spin, and charge. The term “compact object” is more general, encompassing black holes, neutron stars, and even white dwarfs, emphasizing the key characteristic they share: a large amount of mass compressed into a relatively small volume. This broader classification facilitates a more unified approach to studying these extreme astrophysical phenomena.
