Is a Black Hole a 'Hole'

[oneighty]

Or is it a black sphere drawing matter inward from all directions? If it were actually a hole in the fabric of space then what is on the other side?

This is what happens one one cannot sleep.

Just curious.

180

[BlueEyedSon]

1. When light itself cannot escape it, it is for all intents and purposes

a hole.

[Worst Username Ever]

2. I believe that Hawkin took his assertion back that it is a hole in

the fabric of space. It is a super-dense sphere of matter with such a gravitational pull that nothing escapes.

[On the Road]

3. It's a Sphere

It just has unusual properties.

[NYC]

4. Not a hole.

[oneighty]

5. I sure am glad it is a hole.

Now I can sleep tonight. But I will be wondering just how much matter can a black hole which is most likely a sphere hold?

Will it grow bigger and bigger? How long before we too are sucked in. Sigh.

180

[Spinzonner]

6. I believe Hawkings latest theories

predict that massive black holes eventually dissipate

[oneighty]

11. And just where do they dissipate to?

Everything has GOT TO BE SOMEPLACE?

I will save that question for tomorrow night.

Right now I wonder how I will look as a string of spaghetti strung out forever as I am drawn in feet first (I hope). Boy I bet that will smart a right good bit.

Won't it?

180

[Spinzonner]

17. Hawking Radiation

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/011125b.html

[AlienGirl]

20. They go where the white goes when the snow melts

[NYC]

9. It grows denser.

You can sleep anyway. It is stationary, and won't come after you.

[gkdmaths]

19. it is

neither black nor a hole.

[Spinzonner]

7. It's a singularity

Hence there is no 'other side' and likewise the idea it is a sphere is also 'pointless' :-)

[Mike Niendorff]

18. maybe, maybe not

From what I understand, the notion that it's a singularity is a byproduct of models of matter that are themselves based on point-like objects. Change that model, and the model for the black hole changes, as well. Again, from what I understand (which is admittedly limited), this is a good part of what string theory does. Anyway, it's a fascinating topic.


MDN

[papau]

22. Cute - I also like Hawking's latest - that info comes back out

not to confuse the idea that nothing escapes - except Hawking radiation and Hawking Information -

indeed not sure whats left - so I guess the black hole "vaporizes" back into normal matter?

[whistle]

8. Here, check for yourself, but don't fall in.....

<snip>

A black hole is an object — typically a collapsed star — whose gravity is so strong that its escape velocity exceeds the speed of light. Since nothing is known to exceed the speed of light, nothing can escape from a black hole.

<link> http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/blackholes/lesson/whatisit/

And this site has some cool movies/videos of black holes and other such things:

<link> http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/MoviesEdge.html

[oneighty]

12. Thank you whistle.

First I will have to solve the mystery of the Black Hole. Then I will study up on how to access the sites you are kind enough to list.

180

[indigobusiness]

10. A Black Hole is slightly condensed

Novak.

[oneighty]

13. Really?

Novak? The news personality? That dense. That is amazing.

180

[indigobusiness]

14. No light can escape

the event horizon.

[oneighty]

15. Yes

I have read about that. Hawkings I think.

I was just curious about "Novak"?

180

[indigobusiness]

16. That's what I was refering to.

Slighty condensed Novak.

[Endangered Specie]

21. From what I know...

its a mass that is so dense that it is collapsing under its own weight (gravity), and keeps compressing and compressing and the force of gravity (which is proportional to mass/distance^2) increases as a result, it gets so bad that interatomic forces are defeated, and in theory (mathmatically) it becomes infinitly concentrated at one point in space, thus the gravity force is infinite.

Of course, that probably isnt so in reality, all you need for a black hole is for the gravity pull to get so bad that the esape velocity to escape the pull (for some distance away >0 ) is greater than lightspeed, therefore nothing can escape.


neutron stars are "pseudo black holes" they are not dense enough for that, however something would have to be going at a good sublight clip to escape it and they bend light pretty good.

[indigobusiness]

23. The nature of the nucleus of a black hole is unknown.

It is the point in nature where Newtonian and Quantum physics coexist simultaneously. Which can't be, given our grasp of physics.

So, you tell me? The closest model I've perceived of the nature of a Black Hole is the mental gordian knot crunch of the come-down from a powerful acid trip. I'm pretty sure it's something like that, but I can't fully describe or explain it...and I hope I don't experience it again any time soon.