Oppenheimer-Snyder Model

The Oppenheimer-Snyder model is a theoretical description of how a star collapses under its own gravity to form a black hole. It envisions a perfectly spherical, uniform star with no pressure resisting gravity. As the star’s gravity pulls inward, its outer layers shrink and the entire object contracts, eventually forming a region from which nothing, not even light, can escape— a black hole. This model helps scientists understand the fundamental process of black hole formation in a simplified, idealized situation, highlighting how gravity can cause massive objects to collapse into these mysterious regions.