--- title: "Objects We Thought Were Black Holes May Actually Be Wormholes, Scientists Say" description: "Physicists suggest wormholes, hypothetical tunnels linking one part of the universe to another, might be disguised as black holes." date: "2022-11-15" modified: "2022-11-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/objects-black-holes-wormholes" categories: - "Astrophysics" - "Black Holes" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" tags: - "Black holes" - "wormholes" --- # Objects We Thought Were Black Holes May Actually Be Wormholes, Scientists Say ![Physicists suggest wormholes, hypothetical tunnels linking one part of the universe to another, might be disguised as black holes.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* A team of physicists from Sofia University in Bulgaria say that wormholes, which are hypothetical tunnels linking one part of the universe to another, might be hiding in plain sight — in the form of black holes, [*New Scientist* reports](). Black holes have long puzzled scientists, gobbling up matter and never letting it escape. But where does all of this matter go? Physicists have long toyed with the idea that these black holes could be leading to "[white holes]()," or wells that spew out streams of particles and radiation. These two ends could together form a wormhole, or an [Einstein-Rosen bridge]() to be specific, which some physicists believe could stretch any amount of time and space, a tantalizing theory that could rewrite the laws of spacetime as we understand them today. Now, the researchers suggest that the "throat" of a wormhole could look very similar to previously discovered black holes, like the monster Sagittarius A\* which is believed to be lurking at the center of our galaxy. "Ten years ago, wormholes were completely in the area of science fiction," team lead Petya Nedkova at Sofia University told *New Scientist*. "Now, they are coming forward to the frontiers of science and people are actively searching." The team's newly developed computer model, as detailed in a new [paper]() published in the journal *Physical Review D*, suggests the radiation emanating from the discs of matter swirling around the edges of wormholes may be near impossible to distinguish from those surrounding a black hole. In fact, the difference in the amount of light polarization emitted by a black hole and a wormhole, at least according to their model, would be less than four percent. "With the current observations, you cannot distinguish a black hole or a wormhole — there may be a wormhole there, but we cannot tell the difference," Nedkova told *New Scientist*. "So we were looking for something else up there in the sky that could be a way to distinguish black holes from wormholes." While Nedkova and her colleagues suggest there may be ways to distinguish between them with observations in the future. For instance, we could look for light that may be spilling in from the other end of the wormhole and emanating out of the black hole in the shape of small rings of light. But for now, we simply don't have the technology to make those kinds of direct observations of black holes. The only way to really tell for sure would be to scan these celestial oddities with an even higher-resolution telescope. The other option, of course, would be to risk it all by flinging yourself into a black hole. "If you were nearby, you would find out too late," Nedkova told the publication. "You’ll get to know the difference when you either die or you pass through." **READ MORE:** [How to tell the difference between a regular black hole and a wormhole]() \[*New Scientist*\] **More on wormholes:** *[Astrophysicist Says We May Have Already Observed Wormholes Created by Alien Civilization]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()