Discussion » Questions » Science and Technology » Old AB question...astrophysics. You are in a spacecraft in orbit around the earth. The earth turns into a black hole.
Element 99

Old AB question...astrophysics. You are in a spacecraft in orbit around the earth. The earth turns into a black hole.

What happens to your spacecraft? This question was posed by a physics professor at the University of Hawaii and I used to ask it to my students.

Posted - January 13, 2017
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Responses


  • 7792
    It all depends on the mass of the black hole and how far away from it the spacecraft gets. If the black hole has the mass of the Sun and the spacecraft never gets closer to it than the radius of the Sun then nothing would happen to it. It'd be just like being near the object with the mass of the Sun at that distance because that's exactly what'd happen in that case. However, if you get too close to it, say not too far from the event horizon, then your spacecraft would start to feel the effects of the black hole's tidal forces. Too close and it'd rip the spacecraft apart and you along with it. However, this all depends on the mass of the black hole. If the black hole was a super black hole of unimaginable mass then if you got too close you'd be drawn in whether you'd like it or not. But you wouldn't be hurt after crossing the event horizon. In fact, you'd never know that you crossed it. You could be inside the black hole and everything inside your spacecraft would operate normally until you fell in too far in, then it'd be like being in a blender.



    Source: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=67703.0
      January 13, 2017 10:02 AM MST
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  • 44604
    I did specify the mass of the earth, so your are correct in that nothing will happen. Was that your AB answer?
      January 13, 2017 10:26 AM MST
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  • 7792
    I have no idea what my answer was. lol
      January 13, 2017 10:28 AM MST
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  • 7939
    Pardon the cynicism, but what do I care? I'm dead regardless. O_o
      January 13, 2017 10:26 AM MST
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  • 44604
    Of course...you will run out of food...and coffee. This post was edited by Element 99 at January 13, 2017 12:00 PM MST
      January 13, 2017 10:27 AM MST
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  • 7939
    Also, why am I on a spacecraft to begin with and not on earth? And, how could the earth even become a black hole? O_o You just exploded my brain by going about 10 levels deeper than I'm capable of. 
      January 13, 2017 10:28 AM MST
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  • 44604
    Aaaargh. Hypothetical of course.  Odd...only ABers have answered this so far.
      January 13, 2017 10:32 AM MST
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  • 7939
    I see, so you're only hypothetically killing me off and robbing me of my coffee. I feel so much better now. :p 

    Eh, AB attracted a different type. It's the only one that was designed to be a massive index of information. Others had roots as support sites and pure opinion sites, so it's not surprising that you'd get more info junkies answering a question like this. That's not to say there wasn't a lot of crossover and different personalities on each; only that there were larger concentrations of people who wanted hard knowledge on AB.
      January 13, 2017 11:44 AM MST
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  • 44604
    Now my brain is exploding.
      January 15, 2017 12:11 PM MST
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  • 44604
    Yeah...and larger concentrations of troll and pregnant teens. Those were kind of fun.
      January 16, 2017 8:24 AM MST
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  • 46117
    I would argue how in blazes the earth turned into a black hole all of a sudden-like.
      January 13, 2017 10:26 AM MST
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  • 44604
    Hypothetical of course.
      January 13, 2017 10:28 AM MST
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  • 46117
    I never understood hypothetical when it comes to science.   Its almost like saying "its probably impossible but..."  as if science deals in something besides facts.   Maybe its me.   I've always been better at physics as long as I don't have to explain anything. 
      January 13, 2017 10:34 AM MST
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  • The basis of all science is the hypothesis.  

    Scientist deal with hypothetical questions all day, almost exclusively.   Is the engineers and technicians who deal in the proven concepts brought on by science.
      January 13, 2017 2:57 PM MST
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  • 22891
    it probably disappears
      January 13, 2017 11:00 AM MST
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  • First I misread it. I thought that the Earth turned out of its orbit and fell into a black hole, at which point I would have assumed the orbiting spacecraft would have continued to orbit diligently, following the planet into the hole. Sorry. My bad. 

    Then I realised that God, or Satan, or more likely, Loki had zapped the Earth, transforming it into a black hole. This was when I realised my tiny mind, in orbiting your question, was following it down a black hole of its own. I was about to say that the spacecraft would be swallowed up but then had the good fortune to read Zack's answer and realised my mistake. 

    Whew!

    This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 13, 2017 11:50 AM MST
      January 13, 2017 11:36 AM MST
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  • 6988
    Oh, gees!  I'd better consult with L. Ron Hubbard!
      January 13, 2017 12:01 PM MST
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  • 44604
    We shall hold a seance to communicate with him.
      January 15, 2017 12:12 PM MST
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  • 6988
    He's dead?  A seance is good. Maybe Tom Cruise will show up with Siri.
      January 15, 2017 1:38 PM MST
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  • You suffer nothing but grief, lonlieness, and all the existential angst that comes from being at least one of the last humans in existence.
      January 13, 2017 1:26 PM MST
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  • You get a front row seat to watch the greatest show in  human existence.   


    ( spoiler alert, everyone dies except for  one lone astronaut.)

      January 13, 2017 2:59 PM MST
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  • 17593
    We head for Vulcan.
      January 13, 2017 11:35 PM MST
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  • 44604
    Good idea...set a course...warp three.
      January 15, 2017 12:14 PM MST
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  • 7280
    Can we maintain a stable orbit?
      January 15, 2017 12:23 PM MST
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