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stevenx
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Black holes can pull photons in although they move at the speed of light. So, does this means that black holes pull space-time in faster than light and if so, why can space-time "travel" faster than light?
stevenx said:Black holes can pull photons in although they move at the speed of light. So, does this means that black holes pull space-time in faster than light and if so, why can space-time "travel" faster than light?
Simon Bridge said:<ahem> if the observer and the light are both heading for the center of mass, then isn't the light falling faster than the observer?
Perhaps, "the observer is more affected than the light".
Trying to talk sensibly, and simply, about relativity is a pain.
Simon Bridge said::) "if the observer and the light are both heading for the center of mass" i.e. going inwards. Presumably inwards traveling light is going faster than any inwards traveling massive body?
No? inwards traveling light does not go faster than inward traveling massive bodies?PAllen said:No again.me said:Presumably inwards traveling light is going faster than any inwards traveling massive body?
<sigh> I know - but Dr Greg responded to my comment, saying I got it wrong, using outward directed example to illustrate. But I was talking about inwards directed light. We spend all this time telling students that velocity is a vector right? [mumble: This was supposed to be a one-comment aside mutter grumble] :( Please let's continue in private or we'll hijack the thread.Dr. Greg meant outward directed light.
I'm sorry if you got that impression, but I never actually said that. I was responding to the original questioner, and my post wasn't even consecutive to yours, and made no mention of it. As PAllen said, I was talking about light aimed outward (i.e. trying, but failing, to go outward) rather than light aimed inward.Simon Bridge said:... but Dr Greg responded to my comment, saying I got it wrong
A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. It is formed when a massive star dies and its core collapses, creating a singularity with infinite density and zero volume.
Black holes have a significant effect on space-time due to their immense gravitational pull. They bend the fabric of space-time, causing time and space to warp around them. This phenomenon is known as gravitational lensing.
Once an object or light enters the event horizon of a black hole, it cannot escape. The event horizon is the point of no return, where the gravitational pull is too strong for anything to escape. However, some particles can escape from the outer edges of a black hole through Hawking radiation, but this process is very slow.
We cannot directly observe black holes because they do not emit any light. However, we can detect them indirectly through their effects on surrounding matter. For example, we can observe the gravitational pull of a black hole on nearby stars and gas, or we can detect the X-rays emitted from the hot gas as it spirals into the black hole.
Yes, black holes can merge with each other if they are close enough in proximity. When two black holes merge, they create a more massive black hole. This phenomenon has been observed by scientists through the detection of gravitational waves, confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity.