# What Is a Black Hole? (Grades 5-8) - NASA

Source: <https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/for-kids-and-students/what-is-a-black-hole-grades-5-8/>

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## What Is a Black Hole? (Grades 5-8)

### Could a Black Hole Destroy Earth?

Black holes do not wander around the universe, randomly swallowing worlds. They follow the laws of gravity just like other objects in space. The orbit of a black hole would have to be very close to the solar system to affect Earth, which is not likely.

If a black hole with the same mass as the sun were to replace the sun, Earth would not fall in. The black hole with the same mass as the sun would keep the same gravity as the sun. The planets would still orbit the black hole as they orbit the sun now.

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**Words to Know**

**red giant star:** a star that is larger than the sun and red because it has a lower temperature

**white dwarf star:** a small star, about the size of Earth;  
one of the last stages of a star’s life

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