Impact on object nearing black hole are:
- is only slightly deflected from its path
- is strongly deflected
- almost orbits the hole but escapes
- goes into the orbit around the hole,
- falls into the hole. This object would be crushed by the force of gravity.
Additional information about black hole includes:
Detecting a black hole: As matter swirls into a black hole, it can emit X-rays, gamma rays, and other radiation. Astronomers analyze this radiation to discover more about black holes.
Warped space: According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, gravity is a distortion of space and time. The warping of space near a black hole is shown here by the gray plane and white lines.
Downward spiral: Objects or electromagnetic waves spiral downward, following the distortion of space.
Event horizon: This is the boundary of the black hole and is the point of no return for anything that enters, even electromagnetic waves moving at the speed of light.
Inside a black hole: In theory, beyond the event horizon light spirals down toward the center of the black hole, a point of infinite density.