What happens if you get sucked into a black hole?

What are black holes? 

Black holes are surely one of the strangest and most interesting phenomenons in the entire universe. Black holes are not objects that you can touch and feel, but are rather this phenomenon in which matter has collapsed upon itself. They occur when a star has died, and this catastrophic event causes the accumulation of a large amount of matter in a certain location. However, when this event does occur the gravitational pull of the area is so strong that nothing can escape- not even light.

How would I know I’m approaching a Black Hole?

Now, based on the name “Black Holes” we can understand that, well, they’re black, and as we all know space is also black, so technically we can’t really see a black hole. However, based off of the effects that these areas have on the surroundings- dust, galaxies, and stars- we can understand that black holes tend to have a plethora of space material surrounding them. Essentially, because of the black hole’s tendency to suck in all material, there is a whirlpool- like appearance. However, after the black hole starts to take action- by sucking in all of its surroundings- the area becomes extremely hot and even tends to release x-rays. Despite all of this information, however, we actually do not know enough about blackholes to say anything with 100% certainty as no one from earth has ever directly faced a black hole, they are simply too far away from us. However, all of the stuff we do know about blackholes come from information that our telescopes tell us. Another interesting fact is that black holes contain an immense amount of energy- an energy that no place on earth has. In fact, the black holes contain so much energy that they are able to rip stars completely apart.

Black Holes: Honorable Mention

So, you’re probably wondering, “which black hole is the real deal around here?”.  The Black hole you're wondering about is the monster black hole in the galaxy cluster Abell 85 (pictured on the right). This humongous space phenomena is literally the size of our sun times 40 billion- yes 40 BILLION! It is approximately ⅔ the size of our entire milky way. But don't be alarmed! Strangely, the bigger the black hole, the smaller its gravitational pull. So, you’re more likely to escape this monster than any other black hole known to man.Thankfully, this particular galaxy is located about 740 million lightyears away, so the chances of anyone getting there are slim to none. Nonetheless, this massive blackhole continues to envelop many other galaxies in order to further its size.

Ok, so I know some basics on black holes, but what happens as I’m being sucked into one?

So now you know some information about black holes, but what actually happens when you're faced with the wrath of that heap of matter? The answer to this question is quite interesting actually. Now, you could probably manage to escape if you are far enough, but if you're not as lucky, there is a point that you reach where you would not be able to return again. Think of black holes like the Niagara falls. Sure you can row your boat gently down the stream, but when you reach a certain point, the current becomes far too strong to the point where you will not be able to resist it. Black holes work the same way, there is a point where the gravity becomes far too strong and you have no choice but to surrender to the heap of matter. So, you say your prayers and allow for the strong force of gravity to do its job. But, what you don’t know is that this force of gravity isn’t just regular gravity that keeps you still like the gravity on earth does. Rather, this gravity is so strong and pulls everything- including light- into it. Due to this great strength, every object that enters this black hole goes through a process known as spaghettification- strange right? Just as the name says, spaghettification is a process in which people tend to elongate like a noodle while being sucked into a black hole. Yes, you heard that right, we humans literally stretch like play putty due to the overpowering force of gravity- interesting, but definitely deadly.

What’s on the other side of the black hole?

Scientists as of right now do not know much about what happens after being sucked into a black hole. However, even if we tried, it would be far too risky. Essentially, as spaghettification occurs, the force of gravity is so strong that it literally splits an individual in half. This essentially means that even if you are sucked into a black hole, you wouldn't be in one piece to know what happens inside of one. But, if you are lucky and you do enter the black hole, it is said that you can actually become immortal. Essentially, some scientists hypothesize that the end of the blackhole holds the end of the space time fabric, meaning that if you do reach this black hole in one piece, you have found a way to live a very long life. However, in your own perception this life will seem quite normal, meaning that while you experienced billions of years according to your friends on earth, you felt like you only experienced a few decades.

So, yes black holes are absolutely intriguing, and they tell an interesting aspect of space. However, if you do ever get sucked into one, at least you would have been aware of how to identify one. All in all, we as humans of earth won’t have to worry about these black holes for a very long time because we currently do not have the energy capacity to fuel a spaceship all the way to our nearest black hole. So you’re safe... for now.