Does the aeroplane fall into the black hole?

In summary, if the Earth disappeared into a black hole while an airplane was flying 20 kilometers above at a speed of 900 km/h, the airplane would enter a highly elliptical orbit around the black hole. However, due to the strong tidal forces, the airplane would most likely be torn apart and disintegrated.
  • #1
Urvabara
99
0
Yes, I know that this is a silly question. Let's assume that an aeroplane is flying 20 kilometers above the ground and its speed is 900 km/h. There is a black hole in the centre of the Earth that is growing and consuming the Earth. The Earth disappears into the black hole, but what does happen to the aeroplane?

According to my friends, the aeroplane will start to go around the black hole in an elliptical orbit and it will survive the horrible end. http://siilein.com/gif.gif

What do you think?
 
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  • #2
Assuming the black hole sucks up all of Earth and its atmosphere instantaneously, the plane would enter a highly elliptical orbit, as your friends said. Relativistic effects will be negligible because the plane won't go anywhere near the black hole's event horizon, which is on the order of centimeters.
 
  • #3
Well, you'll miss the black hole, but surviving is another issue. Assuming that we acan ignore the rotation of the Earth and your 900 km/hr is the only velocity we need to worry about ( Say you were crossing the North pole at the time.), You'll pass within 32 km from the black hole.

At that distance the tidal forces will be great enough to tear you and your plane apart. You'll leave the close approach as a cloud of tiny bits.
 

1. What is a black hole and how does it affect an airplane?

A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. This means that if an airplane approaches a black hole, it will be pulled in and unable to escape.

2. Can an airplane actually fall into a black hole?

No, an airplane cannot fall into a black hole because the gravitational pull of a black hole is only strong enough to affect objects within a certain distance, known as the event horizon. Since airplanes are much larger than this distance, they would break apart before reaching the event horizon.

3. What would happen to an airplane if it entered the event horizon of a black hole?

If an airplane were to enter the event horizon of a black hole, it would experience extreme gravitational forces which would cause it to break apart. The debris would then be pulled towards the center of the black hole, known as the singularity, where it would be crushed into a single point.

4. Is there any way to escape from a black hole?

Currently, there is no known way to escape from a black hole once an object has entered its event horizon. The strong gravitational pull and intense forces would make it impossible for any known technology to escape.

5. Would an airplane approaching a black hole be able to see it?

Yes, an airplane approaching a black hole would be able to see it as they would be outside of the event horizon. However, the intense gravitational forces would likely distort the light and make it difficult to accurately perceive the black hole.

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