Physicists have discovered a mysterious bend in space-time that can mimic black holes. Such twists, known as " com.

The existence of black holes was predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity.. Scientists know that for a black hole to form, a massive star must collapse under its own weight.. Gravity continues to pull until it collapses into a tiny point known as a singularity.. Around it is the event horizon, an invisible boundary that marks the edges of a black hole.. Everything that crosses the event horizon never comes back.

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But the problem is that the existence of points of infinite density is impossible. Despite the fact that the existence of black holes has been predicted, and they behave in accordance with these predictions, we know that we do not yet know everything about them.. It is known that something can replace the singularity, but what this something is is unknown..

String theory suggests that all the particles that exist in our universe are made up of tiny vibrating strings.. It also suggests the existence of extra dimensions curled up on a scale so small that we can't even tell for sure if they actually exist.. And these extra-dimensional convolutions can lead to unexpected objects..

The authors of a new study have suggested that these tiny convolutions of extra dimensions could lead to defects.. Like a wrinkle that cannot be smoothed out on a shirt, no matter how ironed it is, these defects are stable, permanent imperfections in the structure of space-time - a topological soliton.. Physicists have speculated that these solitons will pretty much look and act like black holes..

Scientists decided to check how light would interact with such a soliton, and found that the interaction is similar to the interaction with a black hole.. Light would bend around the solitons and form stable orbital rings, and the solitons would cast shadows.

But if you get closer to such an object, the similarity is lost.. Solitons do not have a singularity and an event horizon, which means that you can approach and leave it at any time.

Previously, scientists discovered a new black hole closest to Earth, which was designated Gaia BH1. The black hole is 10 times larger than the Sun, it is located at a distance of 1600 light years from us in the constellation Ophiuchus.