{"id":57737,"date":"2024-04-16T10:37:05","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T10:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/837d8063-8b1a-475f-919e-3754d0f1e2b0"},"modified":"2024-04-16T12:08:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T12:08:21","slug":"could-earth-ever-be-swallowed-by-a-black-hole","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/could-earth-ever-be-swallowed-by-a-black-hole\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Earth ever be swallowed by a black hole?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is it possible for Earth to fall into a black hole? Should we be worried about our home planet disappearing any time soon? <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 16 April 2024 at 10:37 AM<\/p>

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Black holes are popularly thought of a cosmic vacuum cleaners, sucking up everything that wanders too close, so could Earth ever be swallowed by one?<\/p>

The depiction of black holes as insatiable monsters is something of a misconception.<\/p>

A black hole is a region of space where matter has become so densely packed that its gravity will let nothing escape \u2013 including light.<\/p>

Time comes to a stop at its edge, and its centre may hide a point of infinitely small volume and infinite density, where all laws of physics break down.<\/p>

Read our answers to some of the big questions about black holes<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

Artist\u2019s impression of a black hole warping space-time. Could a black hole ever swallow planet Earth? Credit: VChan \/ iStock \/ Getty Images Plus<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Possessing the terrifying power to devour anything unlucky enough to pass within their grasp, it is little surprise these cosmic chasms have become a staple of sci-fi since the term \u2018black hole<\/a>\u2019 was coined in 1964.<\/p>

In May 2022, astronomers revealed the first ever photograph of the black hole at the centre of our Galaxy<\/a>.<\/p>

\"The
The first ever image of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy. Credit: EHT Collaboration<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Despite their abundance, there is no reason to panic: black holes will not devour Earth nor the Universe. <\/p>

It is incredibly unlikely Earth would fall into a black hole because, at a distance, their gravitational pull is no more compelling than a star of the same mass.<\/p>

\"Replacing
Replacing the Sun with a black hole of the same mass would not alter the orbits of the planets of the Solar System. So even in this scenario, Earth would not be swallowed by a black hole. Credit: Mark Garlick \/ Science Photo Library<\/figcaption><\/figure>

If our Sun were replaced with a black hole, would it swallow Earth?<\/strong><\/h2>

Replace the Sun with a black hole of the same mass, and Earth and the other planets would continue orbiting the same way, because there would be no discernible change in the gravity acting on them.<\/p>

If our Sun were replaced by a black hole, however, it would get very dark and cold in our Solar System.<\/p>

The only way Earth could be swallowed by a black hole would be if our planet happened to stray across a wandering black hole\u2019s event horizon.<\/p>

That’s something that is not going to happen any time soon, and likely never will.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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