Black Hole: Seeing Inside & Out

  • Thread starter RAD4921
  • Start date
In summary, an image of the outside universe is seen inside of a Schwarzschild black hole, but it is only seen for a short period of time before the black hole's singularity is reached.
  • #1
RAD4921
347
1
It is pretty well known that you cannot see inside of a black hole from the "outside" universe. It is rather obvious as to why this is because gravity is so strong that everything including light gets sucked in but I just read that you cannot see the "outside" universe from inside of a black hole (assuming one wasn't crushed first). Why is this so? Thanks RAD
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I think it's because you can't see anything without a light source. Because you are now where it is completely dark, the only way you could see anything is if you turned on a spotlight or something but once you did turn that on all that light wouldn't go anywhere because it would be getting sucked in too.
 
  • #3
RAD4921 said:
It is pretty well known that you cannot see inside of a black hole from the "outside" universe. It is rather obvious as to why this is because gravity is so strong that everything including light gets sucked in but I just read that you cannot see the "outside" universe from inside of a black hole (assuming one wasn't crushed first). Why is this so? Thanks RAD

It's not so.

See https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=861282&postcount=5" of mine, and other posts in the thread.

Also, if the black hole is massive enough, you won't get torn apart by tidal forces before crossing the event horizon.

Regards,
George
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
Well, at the singularity (point) nothing different exists to view...it's well, singular.

Inside the event horizon, but before hitting the singularity, I suppose time dilation would be so extreme that the outside universe unviewable.
 
  • #5
Phobos said:
Inside the event horizon, but before hitting the singularity, I suppose time dilation would be so extreme that the outside universe unviewable.

No, at least not for the interior of an ideal Schwarzschild black hole. As I said in my post, images are seen - some blushifted some redshifted. Also, the scare quotes I put around 'at' mean in the limit as the singularity is approached.

The book Exploring Black Holes by Taylor and Wheeler gives a readable account of how to derive just what is seen.

Regards,
George
 
Last edited:

FAQ: Black Hole: Seeing Inside & Out

What is a black hole?

A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. This happens when a massive star dies and collapses in on itself.

How can we see inside a black hole?

Currently, we cannot directly see inside a black hole because the intense gravitational pull prevents anything from escaping. However, scientists can study the effects of a black hole's gravity on its surroundings to gain insight into its properties.

What is the difference between a black hole and a wormhole?

A black hole is a one-way path to a singularity, while a wormhole is a hypothetical tunnel that connects two distant points in space. While both involve intense gravitational forces, a wormhole could potentially allow for travel between two distant points in space.

Can anything escape a black hole?

Nothing can escape a black hole once it has passed the event horizon, which is the point of no return. However, some particles can escape through Hawking radiation, a theoretical process proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking.

Do black holes have an end?

According to our current understanding of physics, black holes do not have an end. The matter that falls into a black hole is thought to be compressed into an infinitely small point called a singularity, where all known laws of physics break down.

Similar threads

Back
Top