irst, astronomers made history when they detected a gravitational wave from two black holes merging. Then it was two neutron stars. Now, astronomers believe they've detected a gravitational wave coming from another first-time discovery: a black hole swallowing a neutron star.
Both of these objects — a neutron star and a black hole — are mind-blowing cosmological objects. A neutron star is just the size of a small city but with mass so great that just a teaspoon of its material would weigh 10 million tonnes.
A black hole, on the other hand, is a point in space that isn't made of material at all, but is pure space-time, where, once something crosses its threshold — such as light — it can never escape.
When these two colossal objects meet, something has to give. And in this case, it was the neutron star.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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A black hole, on the other hand, is a point in space that isn't made of material at all, but is pure space-time
Scientists don't really know what is in a black hole, most actually believe there is matter in it but it's been squeezed into such a tiny space that it creates gravity so strong that even light can't escape it's pull, it's like a neutron star on steroids.
Newton is Newton and orbital mechanics are orbital mechanics. To change course something would have to influence it via gravity or striking it, and anything large enough to do that is probably known. And if something did change it the ways it can be changed to be further from earth are vastly larger than the few ways it could be changed to hit earth. Highly unlikely in other words.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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Stupid question, but can asteroids change course slightly or are scientists able to accurately predict it to 19kms?
Like could that 19kms change to 0kms in the next ten years?
Technically it could. The odds of it happening would be astronomical though.
There was a possibility (since ruled out) that Apophis could pass through a gravitational ‘keyhole’ that would line it up with earth 11 years later. It would need to have something alter its path due to gravity (unknown object large enough, super unlikely) or get bumped (even less likely). So in closing: it would need a force exerted on it that hasn’t been calculated. They don’t have a mistake on the track path.
The reason it’s highly unlikely is this: one day the Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are going to merge. When that time comes, it is likely no planets or stars collide.
Technically it could. The odds of it happening would be astronomical though.
There was a possibility (since ruled out) that Apophis could pass through a gravitational ‘keyhole’ that would line it up with earth 11 years later. It would need to have something alter its path due to gravity (unknown object large enough, super unlikely) or get bumped (even less likely). So in closing: it would need a force exerted on it that hasn’t been calculated. They don’t have a mistake on the track path.
The reason it’s highly unlikely is this: one day the Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are going to merge. When that time comes, it is likely no planets or stars collide.
Space is humongous big.
Listening to a podcast there still is a slight concern as apparently it does a flyby near Venus in 2026, they're not sure if or how much it's gravity will effect it's path but be sure they'll be re-calculating.