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jaydnul
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- 15
If there is supposedly a super massive black hole in the center of each galaxy, wouldn't that eat all the light given off? Also, if the centers are so bright, why can't we see our galactic center from earth?
physicsguy13 said:Even if the black hole did "suck up" all of the light, we could still see the light traveling towards the event horizon.
lundyjb said:If there is supposedly a super massive black hole in the center of each galaxy, wouldn't that eat all the light given off? Also, if the centers are so bright, why can't we see our galactic center from earth?
physicsguy13 said:I'm sorry, I mispoke. Unless the star is very close to the black hole, it is likely that some of the light will come in our direction.
What did I say wrong then?Drakkith said:As long as the star is outside of the event horizon its light will reach us. This is a gross simplification, and things like tidal effects would rip apart the star if it were too close, but basically as long as the light is emitted outside of the event horizon, and it doesn't pass too close to the black hole, it will reach us. Also, perhaps you aren't realizing that light is emitted in all directions from a star. Some of the light IS going to fall into the black hole, but that is a very small fraction of the total light.
physicsguy13 said:What did I say wrong then?
Unless the star is very close to the black hole, it is likely that some of the light will come in our direction.
The centers of galaxies are typically much brighter than the outer regions due to the high concentration of stars and other luminous objects, such as active galactic nuclei. These objects produce a large amount of light and energy, making the center of the galaxy appear brighter than the rest.
An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a compact region at the center of a galaxy that emits a high amount of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. This emission is caused by a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy that is actively accreting material and releasing energy in the form of light and jets of particles.
Supermassive black holes play a significant role in the brightness of galactic centers. As material falls into the black hole, it heats up and releases a tremendous amount of energy, making the center of the galaxy appear bright. Additionally, the jets of particles emitted by the black hole can also contribute to the brightness of the center region.
No, not all galaxies are equally bright in their centers. The brightness of a galactic center depends on the size and type of the galaxy, as well as the presence of active galactic nuclei. Elliptical galaxies, for example, tend to have much brighter centers than spiral galaxies.
Astronomers use a variety of instruments and techniques to study the brightness of galactic centers. These include ground-based telescopes, space-based telescopes, and specialized instruments such as spectrographs and interferometers. They can also use different wavelengths of light, such as infrared or X-ray, to study the different components of the galactic center and understand its brightness in more detail.