Is there proof that black holes really exist?

In summary, there is a fascinating and informative story on gravity wave detection that raises the question of whether gravastars could be an alternative to black holes. Some scientists believe that there may actually be no black holes at all and that the collapse of mass into a ball of dark energy could be a more plausible explanation. While there is strong evidence for the existence of black holes, there are still reasonable alternatives that have not been ruled out. One such alternative is the gravastar, which would be slightly larger than a black hole but does not appear to be ruled out by current findings. Overall, the idea of a massive ball of dark energy at the center of a black hole seems like a more sensible explanation than the concept of an infinitely small sing
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edguy99
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There are a number of observations that confine an astronomical amount of mass to a minisule volume of space. It does not require a super computer to calculate the escape velocity at the border of these regions is the speed of light. That is pretty powerful evidence, but, not quite proof. Then again, science is not in the business of proof. Scientists are generally content to settle for ruling out reasonable alternatives.
 
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A search of the internet suggests that there are reasonable alternatives have not been ruled out in the case of black holes, i.e.. http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050328/full/news050328-8.html

The Gravastar would be slightly larger then a black hole but does not appear to be ruled out in anything I could find. The idea that the centre of a black hole is a massive ball of dark energy seems a much more sensible explanation rather then going into explanations that seem to defy common sense. Since dark energy by its very nature is repulsive, rather then attractive like normal mass, means you don't have to deal with force that grows unbounded towards the supposed singularity at the centre of a black hole.
 
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1. What is a black hole?

A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape. It is created when a massive star dies and collapses under its own gravity.

2. How do we know that black holes exist?

There is strong evidence for the existence of black holes based on observations of their effects on surrounding matter. For example, we can detect the gravitational influence of a black hole on nearby stars and gas, and we can observe the radiation emitted by matter as it falls into a black hole.

3. Can we see a black hole?

No, we cannot see a black hole directly as it does not emit any light. However, we can indirectly observe them through their effects on surrounding matter and light.

4. How are black holes detected?

Black holes can be detected through various methods, such as observing the gravitational lensing effect on light from distant objects, detecting X-rays emitted by matter falling into the black hole, and measuring the gravitational waves produced by the collision of two black holes.

5. Are there different types of black holes?

Yes, there are three main types of black holes: stellar black holes, which are formed from the collapse of a single massive star; intermediate black holes, which are thought to form from the merging of smaller black holes; and supermassive black holes, which are found at the center of most galaxies and are thought to have formed from the merging of multiple intermediate black holes.

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