How Our Models Barely Scratch the Surface of Black Holes

[Retro]

A very detailed 65 minute video about black holes by Astrum, with fabulous graphics throughout, to help with that short attention span. Check it out.

Fascinating objects. Just be glad that we're light years away from the nearest one, even the smallest, maybe. If there's no accretion disc and we can't see the lensing effect of light from stars behind them, or orbiting them, then we don't know they're there...

Oh and did you know that it's actually quite hard to fall into one? Ironically, it's due to their immensely powerful gravity interacting with angular momentum. But don't worry, it will kill you long before you fell in, so that won't save you.

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[Crims]

I've studied the curvature of black holes for a good time. PBS Spacetime has some of the best videos regarding that. I think that they ultimately are a key part of the way our universe is, and important system parts.

 

[Retro]

I think that they ultimately are a key part of the way our universe is, and important system parts.

What, PBS?

Sorry.

Yes, black holes have a monumentaly huge impact on the universe. It's incredible to realise that we're orbiting one at the centre of the Milky Way - at a distance of 26000 light years!

I'd love to know how much one would weigh if standing still relative to it. Would it be a tiny amount of gravity at this distance, or would one feel some weight? It's possible to calculate this, but it's not something that I know how to do.