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1kIt should be remember both sides of most stories have a lesson.
For example, many sci-fi writers use the fact that the gravitational force of a black hole is so intense that nothing can escape from its “clutches” to develop their story lines. However, many of them fail to point out the other side of story, which is, in many cases they use gravity to escape from it.
This episode of the Spaceship Spitzer is a classic example of this omission.
In the opening scenes, we find our heroin, Dr. Michelle Thaller tiring to escape the Evil Mines by hiding in the myriad of stars in the center of our galaxy
However, she explains to her robotic sidekick Erwin they must establish a stable orbit around the supper massive black hole at its center. If they don’t they will fall below its event horizon were the gravitational force becomes so great that nothing can escape.
But unfortunately, the Mines find them and established a similar orbit in the opposite direction so they can intercept and destroy them.
Erwin suggests that they speed up and move away from the black hole but as Dr. Michelle points out that is not an option because it will make them a target for the Mines’ plasma bolts.
However,Dr. Michelle remembers they have a tactical advantage over the Mines because the rotating gravitational field of a black hole drags space along with it. This means because they are orbiting it in the same direction as its rotation their instruments would indicate that they traveling faster relative to its event horizon than the Mines’ would.
Dr. Michelle tells Erwin to reduce their orbital speed to the point where it places them just above the black hole’s event horizon because if the Mines want to stay on an intercept course they will have to match it. However, as mentioned earlier the Mines will be moving slower with respect to the event horizon than they are because they are orbiting it in the opposite direction. Since the distance above the event horizon is dependent on their orbital speed the Mines will be closer to the event horizon than they are and will fall below it never to be seen again.  After the Mines have disappeared below the event horizon, she tells Erwin to power up their engines and escape from both the Mines and the “clutches” of the black hole.
The lesson we can learn from this side of the story is that nothing not even an Evil Mine can escape the intense gravitational field of a black hole after crossing its event horizon.
However, were did the energy to power their engines come from.
Some would say that has its origins in the burning of their engine fuel which generated an oppositely direct force from the one associated with the gravity of the black hole.Â
However Einstein’s equation E=mc^2 tell us that all forms of energy including that produce by a rocket originate in mass. In other words, the energy that allowed them to accelerate away from the gravitational forces of the black hole originated in mass.Â
As was shown in the article “What is Dark Energy?” if one accepts the validity of Einstein’s theories the force causing the accelerated expansion of the universe mast have a similar origin in the conversion of mass to energy defined by equation E=mc^2.
There can be no other conclusion if one accepts the validity of the equation E=mc^2
However this means we may be more successful in understanding its organs of dark energy if we use Einstein theories to understand and define a mechanism of how and why the mass such as that associated with Dark Matter in the vacuum of space can be converted to energy instead of only looking what is causing that expansion.Â
The lesson we can learn from this side of Spaceship Spitzer’s story is that mass is the only power source for everything in the universe including Dark Energy.
Latter Jeff
Copyright 2009 Jeffrey O’Callaghan
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It agree, very much the helpful information
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.