As I Was Looking At A Strange Black Hole Image I Wondered

In summary, black holes are areas of space time where the gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, and wormholes are a specific type of curvature of spacetime that allows you to travel to different places.
  • #1
Kenton
2
0
Hey! I'm new here and I just wanted to ask a question and maybe I'll come back here once I have started college in a week or so. :P But firstly I must say, at first I thought the confirmation question for signing up was a science question about acid and I was totally stumped. But that's PH... I think. Not PF. :| Here's my question...
I was looking at an image of a black hole and I thought... Could black holes be the 'cause of wormholes? In the image it showed shockwaves from black holes and it showed the fabric of space being flipped as if you pulled a carpet up and then forced it back down. Which is what wormholes are right? I might be very immature in this assumption I am just starting out in this world. So... Is that a good assumption or am I completely mental? ...and is there any actual theory out there about this?

EDIT:
While looking at the image more, I realized that a wormhole would only be around as long as the waves lasted, and since the waves go in all directions... This isn't very feasible. BUT! What if... What if they start to fade but then are kind of, brought back, by the next wave. Kind of like refresh rates on monitors.

EDIT:
I lot of holes in this... But I was just mildly thinking when I saw this and thought if there was an actual theory behind it.
 
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  • #2
A black hole is a one way ticket to oblivion. A wormhole is a special case that exists only in theory. It requires an exotic form of matter unknown to science to keep it open. A mathematical model merely implies a possibility. It is not necessarily realized in nature.
 
  • #3
You might like the book "Black holes and Time Warps" by Kip S Thorne
It is not about the math, and paints a very beautiful image of the way black holes might look and behave. First non-fiction book I was completely sucked into, no pun intended :D
 
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  • #4
I was really just wondering if there was a theory about wormholes and black holes being related.
 
  • #5
Kenton said:
I was really just wondering if there was a theory about wormholes and black holes being related.

Both are possible solutions to the equations in General Relativity. It's just that black holes are thought to be possible in real life as well as in the math, whereas wormholes only exist in the math since they require non-existent matter to exist. It's important to understand that both are the result of spacetime curving in a particular way. A black hole isn't a "solid" object like a ball or the Earth is. It's simply the result of so much mass in so little volume that spacetime curves in such a way to make it so that there is no path that leads away from the center of the black hole.

Similarly, a wormhole is a particular type of curvature of spacetime, only it curves in such a way that if you enter the event horizon, you exit somewhere else.
 
  • #6
Kenton said:
I was really just wondering if there was a theory about wormholes and black holes being related.

Although astronomers are not aware of the possible existence of wormholes ... they have never been observed, general relativity does allow for their validity

so trying to ask if there's a theory that wormholes and black holes are related is at this time is probably a bit of a stretch :wink:

Others more knowledgeable in the specifics may chime in

cheers
Dave
 
  • #7
In the formation of a black hole a white hole may be produced "somewhere else" and a wormhole might connect the two.

http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/FAQ/question29.html
 
  • #8
Perhaps black holes are just areas of space time where gravity is so strong as to prevent em radiation from escaping. And also the matter inside, instead of being a true singularity is just some unknown state of very highly compressed matter? Wormholes and the like are too speculative for me these days..
 
  • #9
Tanelorn said:
Perhaps black holes are just areas of space time where gravity is so strong as to prevent em radiation from escaping. And also the matter inside, instead of being a true singularity is just some unknown state of very highly compressed matter? Wormholes and the like are too speculative for me these days..

That's the prevailing opinion of many astronomers. (or so I've been told)
 

FAQ: As I Was Looking At A Strange Black Hole Image I Wondered

What is a black hole?

A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. It is formed when a massive star dies and its core collapses in on itself.

What does the image of a black hole show?

The image of a black hole shows its event horizon, which is the boundary around the black hole from which nothing can escape. It also shows the accretion disk, a spiral structure made up of superheated gas and dust that is being pulled into the black hole.

How was the image of a black hole captured?

The image of a black hole was captured using a network of telescopes called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). The EHT uses a technique called very-long-baseline interferometry to combine data from multiple telescopes to create a high-resolution image.

What can we learn from studying black holes?

Studying black holes can help us understand the fundamental laws of physics, such as gravity and relativity. It can also provide insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, as black holes play a crucial role in the growth of galaxies.

Can anything escape from a black hole?

Once something crosses the event horizon of a black hole, it cannot escape. However, before crossing the event horizon, some particles and energy can escape in the form of Hawking radiation. However, this process is still being studied and has not been directly observed.

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