how can astronomers discover black holes if they cant see them?

Answer 1

Stars can be seen orbiting massive but compact and invisible bodies. The only thing that fits the bill is a super-massive black hole. Smaller black holes and neutron stars should have accretion disks which would produce x-rays with characteristic signatures. Those signatures are seen, and astronomers can distinguish between black holes and neutron stars.

Answer 2

Just like they discovered Neptune - a black hole is invisible, but it's *gravitational effects* are felt by the objects around it. Neptune's location and mass was both known before the first telescope spotted it, because of it's effects on Uranus.

A black hole, by the same token, affects space around it; if it has a companion star, that star looks like it's orbiting around nothing.... Also, material falling into a black hole is accellerated to very high speeds, releasing X-rays as it plunges into the event horizon. These X-rays are tell-tale signs that a black hole is present.

We can't actually SEE the black hole, but we can see it's footprints.

Answer 3

They look at how the gravity of a black hole effects its surroundings. For instance, when stars get near black holes, they start to move much much faster. When gas falls into a black hole the friction of the gas rubbing against itself gives off light which can make the area of a black hole visible.

Answer 4

hi Er. Ronald, no it is user-friendly to make sure the black hollow promptly by sending radiations and get it back simply by mirrored image or interplay with the black hollow. this is termed as black hollow simply by fact even mild radiations have become absorbed simply by extreme gravitational container. So any form of radiations would be swallowed. yet how are those black holes stumbled on? by staring on the movements of different seen, observable stars going interior of reach those black holes, scientists come to the top on the subject of the presence of black holes interior the gap. So scientists have placed black holes yet i'm not sure on the subject of the proper information. Please undergo with me, expensive buddy. If we surf we are in a position to get sufficient. actual there are black holes little question approximately it.

Answer 5

Simplest answer, by the effect they have on the surrounding materials around them(suns, planets, light, and anything else).

Answer 6

They see the effect they have on their neighborhoods where surrounding gas falls into them and they give of sporadic bursts of radiation