Cygnus X-1

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Cygnus X-1 is a likely canidate for what scientists term a black hole. I say likely because black holes are at the moment theoretical and have not been fully proven to exist.

Cygnus X-1 lies in the constellation cygnus which as the song refers is in the direction of the star deneb.

In 1971 it was discovered that something in the cygnus constellation was emitting x-rays at a rate of 1000 per second. Based on this flicker rate the largest this object could be is 300 km across.

It was also found that in this constillation is a very large star. This large star, HDE 226868, moves like a star that is part of a binary system. However, there does not seem to be another star in the area. Like massive people massive stars can't be pushed around by anyone but every massive stars. Couple this with the idea that whatever is causing the x-ray emmition is only 300 km across means that such an object must be very very dense. Scientists deem such objects black holes.

The denser an object is the larger the gravitational force it emits. Since gravity is force that attracts objects an extremely dense objects will create a very strong attractive force. Since so called black holes ar the densest things imaginable they must emit a attractive gravitional force unlike any other. This is why black holes are things that cannot be seen. The gravtiational force is so large that is sucks in all the light it reflects.

For the force of gravity to effect a light it must be more than a billion times the force of gravity on earth.

Keep in mind that gravity on Earth is considered 1g.

Consider further that once the gravitational force reaches 4g you can no longer move.

Now imagine more than one billion g's...

As rush put it:

Sound and fury
Drowns my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart....


Source: Cosmos by Carl Sagan