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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Orbiting a Black Hole
NASA ^ | July 01, 2013 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 07/01/2013 3:10:55 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: What would it look like to orbit a black hole? Since the strong gravity of the black hole can significantly alter light paths, conditions would indeed look strange. For one thing, the entire sky would be visible, since even stars behind the black hole would have their light bent to the observer's eye. For another, the sky near the black hole would appear significantly distorted, with more and more images of the entire sky visible increasingly near the black hole. Most visually striking, perhaps, is the outermost sky image completely contained inside an easily discernible circle known as the Einstein ring. Orbiting a black hole, as shown in the above scientifically-accurate computer-created illustrative video, will show stars that pass nearly directly behind the black hole as zipping around rapidly near the Einstein ring. Although star images near the Einstein ring may appear to move faster than light, no star is actually moving that quickly. The above video is part of a sequence of videos visually exploring the space near a black hole's event horizon. (Disclosure: Video creator Robert Nemiroff is an editor for APOD.)

July 01, 2013

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; blackhole; science
[Credit & Copyright: Robert Nemiroff (MTU)]

1 posted on 07/01/2013 3:10:55 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
Please, no black hole jokes.

2 posted on 07/01/2013 3:18:41 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (McCain or Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I thought we were orbiting the central black hole in the Milky Way. Just not that close.


3 posted on 07/01/2013 3:45:21 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Doing the same thing and expecting different results is called software engineering.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Please, no black hole jokes.

So we cannot mention a certain 300 pound slab of ghetto attitude. (Rachel Jeantel).

4 posted on 07/01/2013 3:47:58 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Doing the same thing and expecting different results is called software engineering.)
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To: SunkenCiv
All who dare
to cross her course
are swallowed
by a fearsome force.
5 posted on 07/01/2013 3:53:06 AM PDT by deadrock
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To: SunkenCiv
...discernible circle known as the Einstein ring.

"She suspected this was destined to be a faster than light marriage when he gave her an Einstein ring..."

6 posted on 07/01/2013 4:31:20 AM PDT by LRS ("He's 12 slices shy of a 1/2 loaf of Bunny Bread!")
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To: SunkenCiv

What did the supernova say to the black hole it was trying to pick up?

(wait for it... wait for it...) “I felt strongly attracted to you from across the room.


7 posted on 07/01/2013 6:20:21 AM PDT by momtothree
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To: deadrock

In a final flash of glory. Never more to grace the night.


8 posted on 07/01/2013 6:39:57 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: SunkenCiv
"Please, no black hole jokes."

Would you prefer I took a poke at Uranus ?

9 posted on 07/01/2013 12:50:55 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: SunkenCiv

Wow! That’s wild. Thanks.


10 posted on 07/01/2013 2:42:52 PM PDT by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

That’s black ho, not hole.


11 posted on 07/01/2013 2:59:40 PM PDT by CodeToad (Liberals are bloodsucking ticks. We need to light the matchstick to burn them off. -786 +969)
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