what does a black hole look like? — [COOLNESS]

[Sydde]

A filmmaker wanted to depict a realistic view of a black hole, so they consulted with a physicist, who wrote up some algorithms to depict gravitational lensing for CGI work. The result came out looking like this:

(story link)​

The extreme lensing effect makes it look like the glowing accretion disk wraps over and under the thing, when it is actually just a flat ring around an ecliptic (orbital plane) not unlike the rings of Saturn.

Freaky. Keep those things away from me.

 

[MacNut]

That link better not be a Kim Kardasian video.

 

[Sydde]

No, nor are any Bejorans involved, it is about black holes, not wormholes.

 

[localoid]

... Freaky. Keep those things away from me.

Coolness, indeed. Thanks for posting this.

NASA has had an artist's (2D) concept of a supermassive black hole up for a while, that makes for rather nice desktop wallpaper, that's available in a variety of resolutions (thumbnail below.)

 

[maflynn]

That was very cool, makes me want to see the movie even more now

 

[roadbloc]

Great find OP! Thanks for sharing.

 

[aaronvan]

I'll see it but Matthew McConaughey is really miscast for this Bruce Willis-type action movie. He's much better suited for "films" like Mud and Dallas Buyers Club.

 

[dianestory2]

I am very excited to see this movie. They just build a Cinemark XD Theater close to my house, and this is going to be awesome there!!!

 

[vkd]

Black holes don't exist any more, or at least according to their main exponent, the great, severely-disabled staunch atheist Stephen Hawking.

 

[Alimar]

As Homer Simpson said, when being sucked into a black hole, "I should've listened to that wheel chair guy!"

 

[iMacFarlane]

Black holes don't exist any more, or at least according to their main exponent, the great, severely-disabled staunch atheist Stephen Hawking.

Yes, they most certainly do. The recent "controversy" was a particular aspect of black holes, their ability to radiate energy, that caused the problem. Termed, "Hawking radiation", it basically described the ability of quantum fluctuations triggering the spontaneous formation of entangled particles at the event horizon. One of the particles forms within the event horizon, and is of course lost for eternity within the confines of it. However, the other one could theoretically escape, and would be able to "radiate" away from the black hole. This would result in eventual "cooling" of the black hole. Mr. Hawking had an epiphany and doubted his previous work, but his work has been rigorously verified as sound by his contemporaries.

Black holes still exist, just like the entirety of the real universe. It all exists whether you believe it or not.

Lastly, your "description" of Mr. Hawking is . . . odd . . . , if not somewhat offensive.

 

[maflynn]

Black holes don't exist any more, or at least according to their main exponent, the great, severely-disabled staunch atheist Stephen Hawking.

Read this article, he wasn't staying they don't exist

To be clear, Hawking was not claiming that black holes don’t exist. Astronomers have been observing black holes for decades, said Joseph Polchinski, theoretical physicist at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

What Hawking did was propose an explanation to one of the most puzzling problems in theoretical physics. How can black holes exist when they seem to break two fundamental laws of physics — Einstein’s laws of relativity and quantum mechanics? We’ll explain.

[MOD NOTE]
Also lets avoid any PRSI type discussion regarding what Hawkings being an atheist. That will certainly derail the thread and is not germane to the topic.

 

[Sydde]

The logical problem with black holes is the extremity of time dilation involved in the collapse. To us, the outside observer, we "see" an event horizon, but since the warp of spacetime effectively stops time for us, the outside observer, at that boundary, for all we know, the collapse is currently an ongoing process that will never form a singularity within the timeframe of the lifetime of the universe.

In other words, the math that says that black holes will not actually form is kind of irrelevant, because, in practical terms, for us, they do form, just probably not in exactly the way as has been depicted. We never see formed black holes, we see black holes forming, but the difference, for us is vanishing. So to speak.

 

[heehee]

Can't wait to see this movie in IMAX. I'm sure my wife will fall asleep in the theatre though.

 

[Naimfan]

Thank you for posting that - it is very cool!

 

[pietrov]

Wow, that's really amazing!!!

 

[vkd]

Lastly, your "description" of Mr. Hawking is . . . odd . . . , if not somewhat offensive.

Not necessarily, just calling a spade a spade. Nothing wrong with that, I don't think. Anyway, from a karma point-of-view the two highlighted aspects go hand-in-hand.

 

[impulse462]

I'll see it but Matthew McConaughey is really miscast for this Bruce Willis-type action movie. He's much better suited for "films" like Mud and Dallas Buyers Club.

what? this was not an action movie. mcconaughey was a perfect choice for this role.

 

[woodywoodz]

Cool, it would be amazing to watch it in theater. thanks for sharing

 

[Huntn]

I'll see it but Matthew McConaughey is really miscast for this Bruce Willis-type action movie. He's much better suited for "films" like Mud and Dallas Buyers Club.

I respectfully disagree. McConaughey brings the fidelity that this role demanded that Bruce Willis lacks. His forte is over the top action like Armageddon.

 

[aaronvan]

I respectfully disagree. McConaughey brings the fidelity that this role demanded that Bruce Willis lacks. His forte is over the top action like Armageddon.

what? this was not an action movie. mcconaughey was a perfect choice for this role.

My comments were based on a few pre-release commercials. Now that it's released it appears not to be the movie I was expecting. I look forward to seeing it.

 

[rhett7660]

That is pretty darn cool... Thanks for the link!

 

[Sydde]

I respectfully disagree. McConaughey brings the fidelity that this role demanded that Bruce Willis lacks. His forte is over the top action like Armageddon.

Seriously? I mean, I am no fan of Bruce Willis, but the man definitely has range. Have you seen Nobody's Fool? Or that Vonnegut thing, Breakfast of Champions? Now, if you had said Costner or Ford, I might agree, but Willis, that lump could have pulled it off np.

 

[Huntn]

Seriously? I mean, I am no fan of Bruce Willis, but the man definitely has range. Have you seen Nobody's Fool? Or that Vonnegut thing, Breakfast of Champions? Now, if you had said Costner or Ford, I might agree, but Willis, that lump could have pulled it off np.

Bruce Willis in space? Armageddon or The Fifth Element instantly pops into my mind, over the top, kick ass, but very enjoyable. He would have been miscast in this role.