From NASA’s operations center, a new video has captured the attention of the scientific world and astronomy fans. The US space agency published a simulation showing what would happen if a person or object fell into a black hole.
This impressive audiovisual material gave a perspective of one of the most mysterious phenomena in the universe.
What is the danger of a black hole?
The video, created with the help of advanced computers, illustrates how the extreme gravity of a black hole distorts the space and time around it. As the observer approaches the event horizon, the limit beyond which there is no return, light and matter appear to warp in extraordinary ways.
“The destination is a supermassive black hole with 4.3 million times the mass of our Sun, equivalent to the monster at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. To simplify complex calculations, the black hole does not rotate. A flat, swirling cloud of hot, bright gas called an accretion disk surrounds the black hole and serves as a visual reference during the fall,” NASA explains in the video description.
This project is not only a breakthrough in science, but also represents a step forward in space education, allowing people to virtually experience what it would be like to cross this cosmic threshold.
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What is a black hole and why does it occur?
A black hole is a cosmic phenomenon of extreme density, with gravity so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape its influence. These objects are so compact that they contain a large amount of matter in a very small space, which gives them an immense gravitational force.
Black holes form when a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel and collapses under its own weight.
During its life, a star maintains a balance between the outward pressure, generated by nuclear reactions in its core, and the gravitational force that attracts it inward. When the star consumes all its fuel, this balance is broken. If the star is massive enough, gravity overcomes pressure and the star collapses, creating a black hole.
Where is the closest black hole to Earth?
The closest black hole to Earth discovered to date is Gaia BH1. It is located approximately 1,500 light years from our planet, which in cosmic terms is relatively close.
Gaia BH1 has an estimated mass ten times that of the Sun and is located in the constellation Ophiuchus. This discovery is significant because it is three times closer to Earth than the previous record holder, which belonged to an X-ray binary in the constellation Monoceros.
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