An international team led by researchers at Oxford University Physics have proved Einstein was correct about a key prediction concerning black holes. Using X-ray data to test Einstein’s theory of gravity, their study gives the first observational proof that a “plunging-region” exists around black holes: an area where matter stops circling the hole and instead falls straight
  • Hestia [comrade/them, she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    6 months ago

    I mean, it’s pretty common sense that at some point inertia would be overpowered by the gravitational pull of the black hole. Pretty sure that’s what would happen if the moon got a little too close to us, too.

    • mouth_brood
      6·
      6 months ago

      Of course there’s a point where something cannot escape the gravity. What this article states is that instead of continuing to orbit while perpetually getting closer to the singularity, once the plunging region is hit the light/matter/whatever drops in basically a straight line at the speed of light to the center.