Consumed By A Black Hole

We understand very little about black holes.

Their existence has been determined primarily as a theoretical construct, part of the theorising of particle physicists trying to determine the ultimate nature of the universe.

But theory is about to be added to by observation, as cosmic events are set to take place that will be visible from Earth during the next several months, events that have their origins in the mists of time, becoming visible as a consequence of a physical separation of around 26 million light years.

This Summer, it seems, what it has been possible to observe using radio telescopes from Earth will make it possible for scientists to see what happens as matter is consumed by a black hole.

There is apparently a black hole at the heart of most galaxies, and our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is no exception.

In the constellation of Sagittarius close to the heart of our galaxy scientists have observed as a gas cloud, possibly the debris from a decayed star that has reached the end of its life, is about to enter our own black hole.

This process is vividly described as feeding, and already deep space observations have identified fluctuations in x-ray emissions that have been attributed to the consequences of matter entering into this black hole.

It seems that the temperature of the matter is raised by millions of degrees, and as a consequence, it has been possible to observe massive fluctuations in it the emanation of x-rays as vast quantities of energy have been released.

The kind of energy equivalent to millions of times that emitted from our own Sun.

Scientists are expecting the consequences of this feeding event to be visible from Earth over the next several months, and it is expected that we will learn a great deal about the life cycle and perhaps functioning of black holes.

All of this is extraordinary stuff, almost impossible to comprehend within the constraints of our understanding of events at the far reaches of our potential for observation.

But it is food for thought. I am already beginning to try to contemplate as a writer just exactly what these kind of events might signify from a purely fictional point of view.

Black holes have often figured in science fiction stories as a means of enabling travel between different parts of our universe, and in truth, these imaginings are just as valuable as the theoretical constructs of particle physicists.

The extremes that have been conjured in the theorising concerning  black holes is rather extraordinary.

Most schoolboys will be familiar with the concept that a black hole generates the kind of extremes of gravity such as to make close observation completely impossible.

Even if we had developed the kind of space travel that has been the subject of film-makers imaginations for the past 50 or so years.

It will be interesting to keep up to date with the abstruse world of those observing these events, using the kind of observational techniques which seem of themselves almost to be the subject of science fiction.

Whatever the case, this Summer seems set to be interesting for many reasons.

And it will be worth trying to appreciate what we think we understand about this most arcane area of study, for what light it may shed on our appreciation of the nature of the universe.