FALLING INTO A BLACK HOLE
I found a very interesting series of frequently asked questions answered by Ted Bunn at The University of Berkeley’s website. An interesting question is “What if I fall into a black hole?” I learned the following answer from the FAQs at the previously mentioned website. If one aims a spaceship at the million-solar-mass black hole in the middle of the Milky Way Galaxy, being on the spaceship as it coasts in wouldn’t feel anything at first. As one gets closer one feels tidal gravitational forces. Eventually they will tear one apart. If one looks out as they are falling into the black hole, one would see everything distorted, because the gravity of the black hole bends light. Noone on the outside would be able to see you, because the light can’t escape the horizon of the black hole. Now this part is extremely fascinating: if your friend saw you fall into a black hole, she would see you move more and more slowly. She would never actually see you hit the black hole’s horizon, even if she waited forever. This is because the light one emits takes longer and longer to escape the black hole and reach your friend as you fall in. The light you emit as you cross the horizon of the black hole will remain frozen in space forever.