Discussion
No, not the chocolate.
Not being a very scientific type, I may be about to say something totally ridiculous, but here goes anyway.
It seems that nearly every galaxy has a black hole at it's centre, and all the stars in the galaxy rotate round this. This would suggest to me that the black hole was there first and the galaxy formed around this. Is it possible that way back there were no galaxies, just stars drifting in space, some of these stars could have been so huge that when they died the black holes that resulted were so powerful that they started to hoover up all the smaller stars, which formed the galaxies that we see today.
I'm probably missing something really basic here and will be shot down rather quickly, but I had to ask.
Not being a very scientific type, I may be about to say something totally ridiculous, but here goes anyway.
It seems that nearly every galaxy has a black hole at it's centre, and all the stars in the galaxy rotate round this. This would suggest to me that the black hole was there first and the galaxy formed around this. Is it possible that way back there were no galaxies, just stars drifting in space, some of these stars could have been so huge that when they died the black holes that resulted were so powerful that they started to hoover up all the smaller stars, which formed the galaxies that we see today.
I'm probably missing something really basic here and will be shot down rather quickly, but I had to ask.
A decent question. I know nothing, except that I assumed black holes formed as a result of a mighty and gigantic star death where everything collapses in on itself, and everything else is left to orbit around the outside and eventually get sucked in?
But where did those big gigantic stars come from? Maybe when the universe was younger, and everything was much much closer, stars were forming here there and everywhere not really in galaxies, maybe just loose clusters?
But where did those big gigantic stars come from? Maybe when the universe was younger, and everything was much much closer, stars were forming here there and everywhere not really in galaxies, maybe just loose clusters?
That's an intersting thing to say about "current conditions" and got me thinking if there is an upper limit
so wikipedia suggests 150 solar masses at the current sort of universe environment, but around the big bang it could have been double:
"The first stars to form after the Big Bang may have been larger, up to 300 solar masses or more,[8] due to the complete absence of elements heavier than lithium in their composition. This generation of supermassive, population III stars is long extinct, however, and currently only theoretical"
so wikipedia suggests 150 solar masses at the current sort of universe environment, but around the big bang it could have been double:
"The first stars to form after the Big Bang may have been larger, up to 300 solar masses or more,[8] due to the complete absence of elements heavier than lithium in their composition. This generation of supermassive, population III stars is long extinct, however, and currently only theoretical"
bluey1905 said:
... This would suggest to me that the black hole was there first and the galaxy formed around this.
They discussed exactly this suggestion on the Stargazing Live followup yesterday and agreed it's quite likely.Skip to about 8:10 in
Nimby said:
They discussed exactly this suggestion on the Stargazing Live followup yesterday and agreed it's quite likely.
Skip to about 8:10 in
I have this recorded but haven't had chance to watch it yet, so I will watch with interest. I think, at the moment, we so little about what's happening out there, a lot of different theories hold water. I can't wait to see what the Gaia probe discovers, the pictures should be amazing.Skip to about 8:10 in
don4l said:
What would happen if our Sun collapsed into a Black Hole?
Its gravity wouldn't change. It would just be concentrated into a much smaller area.
The Earth would be plunged into darkness, but it would continue on the same orbit.
Don
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The Sun is too small to become a black hole, it would need to be almost 10 times more massive to evolve in such a way.Its gravity wouldn't change. It would just be concentrated into a much smaller area.
The Earth would be plunged into darkness, but it would continue on the same orbit.
Don
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bluey1905 said:
I believe when our star dies, although it is not big enough to be a supernova or form a black hole, it will expand and swallow the Earth, so unfortunately there will be no planet to carry on in orbit. 
Apart from the planets beyond Earth orbit of course - though they will change significantly.Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff