What do black holes look like?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the appearance of black holes, exploring whether they possess color and how they can be visualized. Participants engage in technical explanations, conceptual clarifications, and some humorous exchanges related to the nature of black holes, including their singularities and accretion disks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that black holes must have color, questioning the implications of their name.
  • Others argue that black holes do not radiate in a way that would produce color, noting that any visible emissions come from the accretion disk surrounding them.
  • A participant mentions that black holes cannot be "seen" directly and that the predominant color associated with them is from the accretion disk, primarily in gamma/X-ray wavelengths.
  • There is a humorous exchange regarding the definition of black as a color, with references to external sources and playful banter about the nature of black holes.
  • Some participants discuss the mathematical definition of black holes, including the concept of singularities and their implications, with references to general relativity.
  • A participant expresses skepticism about the idea of a singularity being a mathematical point of zero size, suggesting it leads to contradictions.
  • Links to external illustrations and papers are provided to support various claims and visualizations of black holes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether black holes have color or how they should be visualized. Multiple competing views remain regarding the nature of black holes and their singularities.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions hinge on the definitions of color and the mathematical properties of singularities, which may not be universally accepted or understood among participants.

DeeAytch
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They have to have some color, yeah?
 
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DeeAytch said:
They have to have some color, yeah?

No, why would you think they have color when they are called "black"? To have color a thing has to radiate. Black holes may do Hawking Radiation but that certainly could not be called a color and they do not otherwise radiate (the ACCRETION DISK may radiate but that is outside the BH).

What DO they look like? They look like a hole in space. A black hole. See how simple some things are?
 
Yeah, you can't "see" one. The predominant colour, which comes from the accretion disc rather than the hole itself, is gamma/X-ray.
 
According to this website, black is a color.

ps. Black holes look like the http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/files/2012/05/Black_Hole_Milkyway.jpeg that smacked into my window this morning. I held her for at least half an hour before she flew away. She was quite stunned by her near instantaneous deceleration.
 
OmCheeto said:
According to this website, black is a color.

Clever, my son... fiendishly clever. You have, however, overlooked the cause of your doom. (Where is the smilie for wringing one's hands in evil glee?)
The colour or lack thereof regarding a black hole is irrelevant. Since it (the singularity) is literally a "mathematical point" of zero size, it is too small to be seen. :-p
 
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A black hole singularity need not be a point, see Kerr black holes. With regards to its near thermal black body nature, see the discussion here: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/61582/is-a-black-hole-a-perfect-black-body

A black hole has a very precise, mathematical definition which, unfortunately, will be too difficult to understand if you have never studied GR. This wiki article describes things rather well without using much math: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole#Properties_and_structure
 
Danger said:
Clever, my son... fiendishly clever. You have, however, overlooked the cause of your doom. (Where is the smilie for wringing one's hands in evil glee?)
The colour or lack thereof regarding a black hole is irrelevant. Since it (the singularity) is literally a "mathematical point" of zero size, it is too small to be seen. :-p

Unfortunately, I don't believe in "mathematical points" of zero size.

That would yield an infinity.

And I don't believe in that either.

And I need a new brain. The image of my birds eye looks nothing like a black hole...

pf.2013.05.26.0009.birds.eye.is.not.a.black.hole.jpg
 
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DeeAytch said:
They have to have some color, yeah?

All you need to know is that the milky way goes into a black hole. Just like..you know... :wink:
 

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