How could a black hole not be spherical?

Question

They say the event creating it was so violent it would most likeley not be spherical. But if its matter that condensed to much it became a singularity (a single point that basically has no real existence) then the surrounding gravitational field would have to be uniformly spherical right?

by the way i dont know if uniformley is the right word to use there but i thought it made me sound smart

Answer 1

First, the answer: The shape of the black hole is directly related to the size and shape of its attending galaxy and the resulting gravity field...
Second, the explanation:
What we call a black hole is the standing wave of a process.
Huh?..OK, some clarification... Reality in this physical universe as observed by humans is made up of several core parts: Matter, energy, time, and space. Each of these has its attendant functions, processes, and interactions.
For example, one of the attendant functions of matter is gravity. One of the attendant interactions is that energy and matter are to some degree interchangeable. Atomic explosions occur when some matter is converted into energy.
So we can understand much of the process called a black hole.
Entire galaxies are the result of the accumulation and interactions, via gravity, of matter. The shape of any galaxy is the result of its history of accumulation including its interaction with nearby galaxies. Just as electrons follow the lines of force within the Earth's magnetic field, and flow down into the atmosphere, resulting in the aurora, matter flows down the lines of attraction within the gravity field, or as it is often termed now days, the gravity well.
One of the processes that occurs during this flow is the formation of all the things seen by astronomers, such as stars and nebula, planets, comets, moons, dust, and all the elements from hydrogen to uranium and beyond.
These processes have limits. If an accumulation is small, the materials become a planet, either a rocky planet, it the material is heavy, or a gas planet if the material is lighter. If the material accumulated reaches a certain point, a star is formed. A star's life is determined by the total of its accumulation of matter in the beginning. If it is small it may burn out and end as a nova, or dwarf star, or if it is large, a supernova.
A galaxies life is also determined by the accumulation of matter during its history. The vortex of gravity draws matter into the center. Momentum creates orbits around the center. Still, accumulation continues at the center.
Matter spins down into the center and accumulates. The larger and older the galaxy, the larger the accumulation will be.
When the accumulation reaches a size at which the strength of the gravity well is strong enough, nothing with mass can escape. Since there is a boundary between light and mass, light can not escape. We call this event a 'Black Hole' because things which can not be seen are often black. Remember, the visible spectrum is only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and 'black' is a term relative to the visible spectrum. Just because humans name it black, does not mean that it has no existence. The process has not left the universe. It is still there, it is just not visible.
These processes which create black holes have limits.
The shape of the black hole is directly related to the size and shape of its attending galaxy.
The main point of relevance to this question: "How could a black hole not be spherical?" Is that the shape is a result of the lines of force of its gravity field.
If a galaxy was formed in the coldest, most distant (from any other galaxy) reaches of the universe, where matter was formed when there was nearly no momentum nor gravity in the space it formed, then a nearly spherical galaxy, called an elliptical was formed. (1)
At the center of these galaxies, is a nearly spherical black hole.
During the history of the universe, the formation of galaxies changed the shape of the entire gravity field. As new galaxies formed, they experienced a reality with more energy, and a stronger gravity field. As galaxies moved through space, they interact with each other, all according to the gravity field they experience. Sometimes they merge, with disruption of the local gravity field. Their uniform shapes are destroyed by these interactions. (2)
Regarding the question again...
The spiral galaxies have more spin attending them and their shape is a reflection of that. The black hole in their center reflects the momentum of the accumulated material that formed it. It is spinning into a disk shaped structure. But the structure has limits. The mass of the black hole in a state of spin creates a disk shaped gravity field, sort of like a red blood cell, thin in the middle. The pressure on the matter is high at the center. The gravity field is equalized along the axis of spin. By being balanced along that axis, it drops below what is necessary to maintain the effect of a black hole. The pressure destroys the matter, converting it into the energy of the electromagnetic spectrum such as gamma rays, light and radio waves. The lower gravity field along the axis allows this energy, and and some matter, to escape along the axis. We call this part of the process a 'Galactic Jet.' (3)
These jets are huge structure, and relate in size to their home galaxy. (4)

An interesting experiment about this could be done in the ISS.. It would be to suspend a large drop of mercury (representing the black hole) embedded with radioactive isotopes that could be detected by remote sensors, in a static electric field, and spin it. The shape and internal motions might give us insight into the processes occurring in a black hole. Of course a black hole is spinning at fantastic rates that could not be approached in such an experiment.

;-D Astronomy is a blast!

Answer 2

I'm not an expert on this but what you'll probably hear the experts say is that we don't know the rules of physics that go on inside a black hole. Our rules break down and don't describe what's going on in there. As such, we have to assume the dimensions, if they exist, are not the same, and as such the word "spherical" may not describe a black hole. Our physics points to it being a singularity or point. Once you're there, though, we can't describe it. The surrounding gravitational field, as I understand it, would increase in strength (in concentric spheres) as you approach the black hole until you reach a boundary from which light cannot escape. Beyond that boundary we don't know what happens.

Answer 3

good question, and explanation, but black holes are not spherical. They are cone shaped, due to the great density of the singularity. There is such a massive speed inside, almost the speed of light, so it is possible that if the black hole did have any usable matter that did not get strung thinner than spaghetti and longer than all modern highways put together, the rapid spinning could cause it to spin into a somewhat spherical shape, with the gravity and spinning probably twisting it into an oval or egg shape.

Answer 4

Well, "spherical" would be misleading in relation to a black hole. The forces from a singularity are so immense, they distorte "reality" The matter at the heart of a black hole, actually spins at an unimagineably fast speed. This would tend to have a distending effect on the matter. (centrifugal force "throws" the matter outward untill it's pulled in by counter-balancing gravity).

Answer 5

spherical or elliptical would probably be more reasonable shape. Elliptical would just mean that the black hole would be warped in shape. Maybe shaped more like an egg or oval but yeah, there are tons of theories out there for black holes cause no one has ever been shown to prove its existence ( well except for stephen hawking). besides, wouldn't a black hole have no mass anyway? so how can you guess a shape?

Answer 6

It probably was not spherical...if you read Hawkings, he makes an argument for a more cigar or flattened shape due to gravitational forces.

This also makes sense as the solar system is closer to a football shape than a sphere.