What is a 'black hole' and what are my chances of encountering one (please be brief)?

Answer 1

The answers obtained so far seem mostly irrelevant (and worse - some should be reported). I suppose this is an honest question. What is termed a "black hole" is something in outer space that has so much matter and so little energy in the form of heat that its atoms have all collapsed into their nucleuses under the weight of gravitation. They are smaller than most stars but have a tremendous amount of gravitational force, enough, so the scientists say, to prevent even light from escaping from them. So they are invisible and appear as black as space itself. It is now theorized that every galaxy, even our own, i.e. the Milky Way as seen up in the sky at night, has a black hole at its center. You sound genuinely interested and also not very well versed on some details of space science. No one has ever even taken photos or drawn pictures of any of the black holes discovered in the universe.

Answer 2

Black Holes are the end of a life of stars that are at least 10 to 15 times the size of our Sun. If a star that size or bigger undergoes a Supernova, it might leave behind a massively burned out remnant of the star. Because there is nothing anywhere near it, the gravitational forces from the remains have nothing to oppose them (so there is no balance) and the remains will collapse upon itself.

Eventually the star will collapse to the point of zero volume and infinite density. A "Singularity" is created. As the density increases, the path of light rays that come from the star are "bent" and are trapped around the orbit of the star. Since no light can escape the orbit of the star, it is called a Black Hole.

So what are the chances you will ever encounter one? Probably a trillion to one. First of all, our sun is too small, so there's no chance it would become a Black Hole. Second, any star large enough are so far away from the Milky Way, it would take man a very long time just to reach them (the technology to have a manned vessel reach them in our lifetime does not exist, and may never exist).

Your better off hoping to have the winning ticket in the lottery - much better odds.

Answer 3

The odds of encountering a black hole are extremely small. The closest ones are quite far from us (the nearest star besides the sun is several light years away as it is). Our sun has no chance of becoming a black hole in the future, based on our understanding of stellar mechanisms.Breathe easy, black holes are one thing you do not have much to worry about.

Answer 4

There is a really good article on that in Encarda
under science & something?
Seems it said the black hole is actually a vacumn of such tremendous force. That is sucks in whole planets.
There is no resistance so it doesn't burn up just throws it out further out in space. In the future may even be used for space travel. Then a vessel could go unheard of speeds and land unhurt trillions and trillions of miles out in space to another place.
Course to come back you would have to know of one headed in the other direction. I supose. We are only now even learning about the universe. a short thousand years ago they worshipped the sun. Now we know it is just a hot ball of buring gasses

Answer 5

Its a desterbunce in space time fabric, small point with strong gravity that not evin light can get pased, this is why you cant see it, black hole

You wont see one ever, if you encounter one you will be compresed and packed into the singularity (any amount of mater compressed into a single point partical smaller than an atom) You would die a horible death, but almost instant so it would not be so bad.

Answer 6

A black hole is what happens after a star dies and the gravity gets really dense in that spot. And there are no chances of you running in to one.

Answer 7

A black hole is a space anomaly, that has such strong gravity that not even light can escape. Your chances on encountering one are about ZERO. even if you were an astronaut.

Answer 8

Date Black Girls. Endless Possibilities. Lol

Answer 9

well it a hole that happen to be black...you can encounter one very easily take you fist and punch a hole in the wall and there you go...you just created your own black hole :o)

Answer 10

i d u n n o h o w t o d e s c r i b e i t b u t i t s t h e l a s t p h a s e o f a s t a r ( s u n ) ' s l i f e . i t i s o n e o f t w o p o s s i b l e o u t c o m e s s o a s u n c a n e i t h e r b e c o m e a n e b u l a ( w h i c h w i l l e v e n t u a l l y f o r m a n e w s u n ) o r a b l a c k h o l e w h e n i t d i e s . . . I t h i n k y o u w i l l h a v e n o p r o b l e m w i t h t h e m a s l o n g a s y o u s t a y o n e a r t h a n d t h e w o r l d i t s s e l f d o e s n o t g o i n t o a b l a c k h o l e .

p . s . I p u t i n t h e s p a c e s s o i t s e a s i e r t o r e a d