How To X-Ray A Black Hole

The video explores the enigmatic nature of black holes, their detection, and the challenges in understanding their properties, such as spin. It highlights the role of the Nustar telescope in providing new insights into black holes by measuring their spin through high-energy X-rays. This has confirmed theoretical predictions about maximum spin speeds, supporting Einstein's theory of general relativity. The findings are crucial for understanding the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes in the universe.

What makes black holes difficult to detect directly?

• They do not emit or reflect any radiation.

• They are too small.

• They emit too much light.

• They move too quickly.

What law of physics explains why black holes spin faster as they become denser?

• Newton's Third Law

• Law of Universal Gravitation

• Conservation of Angular Momentum

• Theory of Special Relativity

What is the primary purpose of the NuSTAR telescope?

• To scan the sky for high-energy X-rays

• To measure the temperature of planets

• To detect gravitational waves

• To observe visible light from stars

How does NuSTAR differ from previous telescopes in observing black holes?

• It can see through dust and gas with high-energy X-rays.

• It uses visible light to detect black holes.

• It observes lower energy X-rays.

• It measures the temperature of black holes.

What did NuSTAR's observations reveal about the supermassive black hole's spin?

• It does not spin at all.

• It spins at 84% of the speed of light.

• It spins faster than the speed of light.

• It spins at 50% of the speed of light.

Why is measuring the spin of supermassive black holes important?

• To learn about their formation and evolution

• To calculate their distance from Earth

• To determine their color

• To understand their temperature

What did the distorted iron signal observed by NuSTAR indicate?

• The distance to the black hole

• The presence of dust clouds

• The black hole's temperature

• The black hole's spin