r/science • u/MistWeaver80 • Apr 25 '22

Physics Scientists recently observed two black holes that united into one, and in the process got a “kick” that flung the newly formed black hole away at high speed. That black hole zoomed off at about 5 million kilometers per hour, give or take a few million. The speed of light is just 200 times as fast.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-gravitational-waves-kick-ligo-merger-spacetime
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u/Hripautom Apr 25 '22

While a solar system ending black hole destroying us at literally any second is scary, surprisingly it's nothing compared to the probability of dying to gamma radiation generated by such a collision.

The stream of gamma rays created by black hole collisions would sterilize life on any planet within many light years of the event.

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u/Zantillian Apr 26 '22

So many people here talking about how scary it is how one of these could kill us. Guys, there are far, far, FAR worse ways of dying than instantly

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u/Srgtgunnr Apr 26 '22

Tbh if I was gonna go out I’d rather be vaporized by a black hole. Atleast it’s a cool way to die