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So, Black holes emit x-rays in two jets. So, isn't possible for a black hole to be lurking somewhere close by, say 1 to 1000 lightyears that -could- be undetectable if none of the x-ray jets are aimed in our direction?
(Yes, I realize 1 light year away is basically impossible, but just of curiousity's sake...My son asked me about this and I thought it was a good question.)

2007-03-02 17:23:51 · 9 answers · asked by Amanda P 1 in Science & Mathematics Astronomy & Space

I'm referring mainly to stellar black holes, like the one 1600 LY away, but if the x-jet never pointed to earth, one could be lurking closer without us know?

2007-03-02 17:50:38 · update #1

9 answers

1 light year away would make it obvious, as our sun would be moved by the gravitational pull. But I know what you mean, and yes, if it we ignored the fact that all the stars seem to be moving in circles (due to the fact that the sol system is orbiting black hole), the black hole would be undetectable. Furthermore, the black hole has to be gathering in matter for the X-ray jets to be present. Also, a black hole 1ly away would have gravitational effects on a lot more stars than just our sun. But assuming we ignore that, yes, undetected.

2007-03-02 17:48:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Giant stars sometimes collapse to form black holes, the mass of the star being compressed by gravity to the size of a football field. It's important to understand that the gravity of such a black hole is the same as before the star collapsed.
Generally, in the spiral arms of a galaxy, matter is too spread out for a regular black hole to 'gobble up' much more matter over short periods of time (million of years). It's at the center of galaxies where massive ancient black holes exist, 'gobbling up' other stars.
If there were a black hole nearby, it's gravity would bend light of distant stars, changing the apparent shapes of the constellations behind it, and it would be easy to detect by modern astronomers.

2007-03-02 20:12:10 · answer #2 · answered by CaesarsGhost 3 · 0 0

You son asked a very good question :).

A black hole lies in the heart of every large galaxy. A monstrous one sits in the center of our own Milky Way. Astronomers say probably more than 10 million black holes inhabit the cosmos.

Initially, scientists believed we had nothing to fear, because black holes were thought of as fairly stationary.

Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at City University of New York states: " in the year 2000, ... we had conclusive evidence that there are wandering black holes — nomads, renegades — right next to us in our own backyard of a galaxy.
source: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Science/story?id=2365372&page=1

There is only a very slim possibility that a rogue black hole might pass near, or even through our Solar System (source: Black Holes: The Deadliest Force in the Universe ABC News, 28 August 2006.)


Any fears that such black holes will consume the Earth are groundless, [experimental physicist Greg] Landsberg said... For one thing, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking calculated all black holes should emit radiation, and that tiny black holes should lose more mass than they absorb, evaporating within a billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second, "before they could gobble up any significant amount of matter," Landsberg said." (source:http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/2006/09/20/black-holes-wont-consume-the-earth-today/6503)

2007-03-02 17:44:59 · answer #3 · answered by Albertan 6 · 0 0

Technichaly, yes, that would be possible.

However, there are a few ways which it could be indirectly detected.

An intense gravitational feild like that would pull mesurably on objects that are pretty distant from it. We'd notice any stars moving out of place. Also, it's movement would bend the light of starts. That wouldn't be noticed as easily, but if stars were to vanish or become brighter (gravitational lensing) in a line and there were no apparent cause for this.. that might be picked up on too.

Otherwise, yeah. We're basicaly blind.

2007-03-02 19:23:20 · answer #4 · answered by socialdeevolution 4 · 0 0

it actually relies upon on their mass and how in a well timed fashion they flow and how close they arrive. A microscopic black hollow with a mass of a few lots ought to plow real interior the process the Earth and drill a neat hollow and save going if it had an fairly intense speed (plenty larger than Earth's get away speed. yet while it approached with decrease than get away speed, we would be in hassle because it orbited decrease than the exterior, gaining length. A solar mass sized one passing slowly interior the process the photograph voltaic gadget ought to smash each and all of the planetary orbits and rearrange the full gadget. one in all any length that approached the Earth slowly and promptly could devour the planet. If it replaced right into a tiny one, it could take the region of the Earth interior the photograph voltaic gadget after it ate the planet. Black holes are related to the scariest issues interior the universe, fairly one way capture doorways out of time and area. -- Regards, John Popelish

2016-10-02 07:31:44 · answer #5 · answered by layden 4 · 0 0

Often rings of light surround blackholes that are near anything because a black hole is powerful enough to suck anythin, even light, in. Most likely the nearest blackhole ois in the center of the Milky Way, about 32,000 light years away.

2007-03-02 17:29:58 · answer #6 · answered by 2b2gbi 2 · 0 0

Apparentely there is. some where in our galaxy there is a black hole.

2007-03-02 17:28:17 · answer #7 · answered by Marg N 4 · 0 0

we as humans do not know anything about space to be able to say what is their or not

2007-03-02 17:31:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

you'lll be dead

2007-03-02 17:26:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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