Light cannot escape a black holes gravity?

[MTDEW]

If the speed of light is constant, whether on earth or in space.
Wouldnt that mean the speed of light is not effected by gravity, since it travels the same speed in earths gravity as it does in space.

Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?
Or better yet, that gravity can actually stop light?
Or is it all just theory?

I know most of whats known of black holes is mostly theory, but the thought that even light cannot escape a black holes gravity has always had me skeptical, since we were always taught the speed of light was constant.

 

[TridenT]

Highly Technical forum

We have one.

 

[MTDEW]

Hmmm... wasnt expecting a highly technical discussion, its not like im a light expert.
Just curious.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up, never considered the high tech forum, since i never go in there to discuss stuff way over my head....LOL

 

[Chronoshock]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lensing

The speed of list is called constant specifically in the context of free space in which it travels at a constant speed and is constant relativistically speaking

Edit: Not to be a dick, but judging by your tone and word choice, it sounds like a case of a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing. If you're truly interested in the subject, read up on it on wikipedia, there is a lot of information there. Otherwise, don't try stirring the pot just for the heck of it, throwing out miscellaneous facts in an attempt to be profound. If you do not have the capability to listen and respond to responses, asking is useless.

 

[MTDEW]

Originally posted by: Chronoshock

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lensing

The speed of list is called constant specifically in the context of free space in which it travels at a constant speed and is constant relativistically speaking

Edit: Not to be a dick, but judging by your tone and word choice, it sounds like a case of a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing. If you're truly interested in the subject, read up on it on wikipedia, there is a lot of information there. Otherwise, don't try stirring the pot just for the heck of it, throwing out miscellaneous facts in an attempt to be profound. If you do not have the capability to listen and respond to responses, asking is useless.

Cool, thnx :thumbsup:
Link has excellent explaination.
Didnt think of Wikipedia.
Now i know why it was suggested for the Highly Tech forum since a lot of that is highly technical.

my take. (correct if im wrong)
So a black holes gravity doesnt stop light, it just bends it back onto itself so it cannot be seen by the observer.

 

[MTDEW]

Originally posted by: Chronoshock

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lensing

The speed of list is called constant specifically in the context of free space in which it travels at a constant speed and is constant relativistically speaking

Edit: Not to be a dick, but judging by your tone and word choice, it sounds like a case of a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing. If you're truly interested in the subject, read up on it on wikipedia, there is a lot of information there. Otherwise, don't try stirring the pot just for the heck of it, throwing out miscellaneous facts in an attempt to be profound. If you do not have the capability to listen and respond to responses, asking is useless.

Nah, it wasnt meant that way.
Just watched a show on tv called Journey to the edge of the universe, and it touched on black holes and it got me thinking, "how does gravity stop light?"
Since i didnt think that was possible and i was sitting here at my pc, just thought i'd ask in the off topic.

In other words, i was just "thinking out loud".

Anyway, thnx for the link and explaination.

 

[Born2bwire]

No. Bent back on itself sounds like it would be reflected, which it isn't here.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Well, a black holes gravity (when within the event horizon) is so great that nothing can escape it. The reason they are called black holes is because anything behind them is invisible since the light of anything behind them is "pulled into" the black hole. Read up on event horizons also.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_horizon

 

[Lean L]

why do you think they are called black holes. Our only way of finding one is by looking for a lack of light

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
If the speed of light is constant, whether on earth or in space.
Wouldnt that mean the speed of light is not effected by gravity, since it travels the same speed in earths gravity as it does in space.

Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?
Or better yet, that gravity can actually stop light?
Or is it all just theory?

I know most of whats known of black holes is mostly theory, but the thought that even light cannot escape a black holes gravity has always had me skeptical, since we were always taught the speed of light was constant.

This is just a guess, but since speed isn't a vector, it could be that the speed of light IS the same, just that the direction is constantly changing. So light tries to escape the black hole, but the gravity pulls light back in. The speed at which light moves is still the same, just that the velocity is not c.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: iamanidiot
why do you think they are called black holes. Our only way of finding one is by looking for a lack of light

But, if you look for it won't it suck your eyeballs out?

 

[MTDEW]

Originally posted by: iamanidiot
why do you think they are called black holes. Our only way of finding one is by looking for a lack of light

Actually no, they find them by searching for the light surrounding/orbiting them...LOL
Seriously though, i didnt post to be insulted just to share a thought and see what others thought/knew on the subject.

All of the links were great reads (really enjoyed the event horizon), and Hacp seemed to get what i was thinking along with a very simplified yet accurate explaination.

Anyway, i still have a Naked Science: Close Encounters on the DVR i wanna check out, so im gonna check it out.
And rest assured if i have any thoughts on that, i wont post them on here tonight.

You guys are just brutal tonight.

 

[Billb2]

Read A Brief History of Time and it will all become clear.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Gravity is the curvature of spacetime. Light travels on a geodesic through spacetime at a constant speed, but if that geodesic is bent due to gravity then light will appear to bend instead of travelling straight. If the gravity is so intense that the curvature becomes (effectively) infinite, then there is no straight geodesic on which the light can travel to escape.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: MTDEW

Originally posted by: iamanidiot
why do you think they are called black holes. Our only way of finding one is by looking for a lack of light

Actually no, they find them by searching for the light surrounding/orbiting them...LOL
Seriously though, i didnt post to be insulted just to share a thought and see what others thought/knew on the subject.

No, there are several ways to detect black holes but you certainly can't see light orbiting a black hole - if it's in orbit around a black hole, how could it become incident with your eye?

Black holes are primarily detected in two ways. You can look for a characteristic gamma radiation signature that is caused by electrons being accelerated near a black hole (synchrotron radiation). Or you can look for a bunch of stuff that seems to be getting sucked into something very big that you can't see. There are of course several other methods, but these are the simplest and probably the most widely used.

Edit - do'h, I forgot the most common method for detecting black holes: accretion disks. Black holes accrete matter around them just like anything massive (think Saturn's rings). Accretion disks around black holes heat up through friction with their surroundings and emit X-ray radiation.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: MTDEW

Originally posted by: iamanidiot
why do you think they are called black holes. Our only way of finding one is by looking for a lack of light

Actually no, they find them by searching for the light surrounding/orbiting them...LOL
Seriously though, i didnt post to be insulted just to share a thought and see what others thought/knew on the subject.

No, there are several ways to detect black holes but you certainly can't see light orbiting a black hole - if it's in orbit around a black hole, how could it become incident with your eye?

Black holes are primarily detected in two ways. You can look for a characteristic gamma radiation signature that is caused by electrons being accelerated near a black hole (cyclotron radiation). Or you can look for a bunch of stuff that seems to be getting sucked into something very big that you can't see. There are of course several other methods, but these are the simplest and probably the most widely used.

Edit - do'h, I forgot the most common method for detecting black holes: accretion disks. Black holes accrete matter around them just like anything massive (think Saturn's rings). Accretion disks around black holes heat up through friction with their surroundings and emit X-ray radiation.

You some kind of astronomer or something?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: StevenYoo
You some kind of astronomer or something?

Nah I'm just a poser I spent 2 years studying astrophysics at university before reality kicked me in the face and I decided to change majors to a field where I might be able to get a job at the end. Astrophysics is a subject I'm deeply passionate about and I intend on returning to finish a degree in it one day.

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

Einstein and Eddington's famous eclipse experiment proves it.
An Article
A photo

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Not only has it been proven, but the fact that gravity bends light is incorporated into many astronomical observations. We can use gravitational lensing to find galaxies, extra-solar planets, white dwarf stars and even the position and density of dark matter.

 

[polarmystery]

Originally posted by: edro

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

Einstein and Eddington's famous eclipse experiment proves it.
An Article
A photo

I was going to post this...

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: MTDEW

Originally posted by: Chronoshock

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lensing

The speed of list is called constant specifically in the context of free space in which it travels at a constant speed and is constant relativistically speaking

Edit: Not to be a dick, but judging by your tone and word choice, it sounds like a case of a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing. If you're truly interested in the subject, read up on it on wikipedia, there is a lot of information there. Otherwise, don't try stirring the pot just for the heck of it, throwing out miscellaneous facts in an attempt to be profound. If you do not have the capability to listen and respond to responses, asking is useless.

Cool, thnx :thumbsup:
Link has excellent explaination.
Didnt think of Wikipedia.
Now i know why it was suggested for the Highly Tech forum since a lot of that is highly technical.

my take. (correct if im wrong)
So a black holes gravity doesnt stop light, it just bends it back onto itself so it cannot be seen by the observer.

Actually it does stop light. This is why to an outside observer an object appears to take infinity to reach the event horizon. Of course you wouldn't actually "see" the object, but you could detect the severely red-shifted photons being emitted.

IIRC experiments on earth using powerful magnets or something have also been able to stop light.

Edit: Or it "appears" to stop light via warping of spacetime. But that's sort of like saying you only "appear" to fall if you jump off a building. You are merely following the curvature in spacetime created by the Earth, but the effect is the same (i.e. SPLAT).

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: MTDEW
If the speed of light is constant, whether on earth or in space.
Wouldnt that mean the speed of light is not effected by gravity, since it travels the same speed in earths gravity as it does in space.

Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?
Or better yet, that gravity can actually stop light?
Or is it all just theory?

I know most of whats known of black holes is mostly theory, but the thought that even light cannot escape a black holes gravity has always had me skeptical, since we were always taught the speed of light was constant.

Its constant relative to spacetime. Gravity is not a "force", but rather curvature of space. Following this curve stretches time.

 

[Titan]

Damn this subject always gets the Rush song Cygnus X-1 stuck in my head.

Book one ---- the voyage
Prologue

In the constellation of cygnus
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force
The black hole
Of cygnus x-1

Six stars of the northern cross
In mourning for their sisters loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night....

1
Invisible
To telescopic eye
Infinity
The star that would not die

All who dare
To cross her course
Are swallowed by
A fearsome force

Through the void
To be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized ---- at the core
Or through the astral door ----
To soar....

2
I set a course just east of lyra
And northwest of pegasus
Flew into the light of deneb
Sailed across the milky way

On my ship, the rocinante
Wheeling through the galaxies,
Headed for the heart of cygnus
Headlong into mystery

The x-ray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the black hole ----
Gains control....

3
Spinning, whirling,
Still descending
Like a spiral sea,
Unending

Sound and fury
Drowns my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart....

To be continued

 

[Kalmah]

Originally posted by: polarmystery

Originally posted by: edro

Originally posted by: MTDEW
Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?

Einstein and Eddington's famous eclipse experiment proves it.
An Article
A photo

I was going to post this...

Me too.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: MTDEW
If the speed of light is constant, whether on earth or in space.
Wouldnt that mean the speed of light is not effected by gravity, since it travels the same speed in earths gravity as it does in space.

Has it ever even been PROVEN that light is even effected by gravity?
Or better yet, that gravity can actually stop light?
Or is it all just theory?

I know most of whats known of black holes is mostly theory, but the thought that even light cannot escape a black holes gravity has always had me skeptical, since we were always taught the speed of light was constant.

Its constant relative to spacetime. Gravity is not a "force", but rather curvature of space. Following this curve stretches time.

And this curvature is cause by...?

(mass?)