If a black holes emits no light, how are we able to detect them?

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Question restatement: The prompt asks how we can detect a black hole given that it emits no light.
Option 1: 'We can’t, no one has ever actually detected a black hole' This is incorrect because there are multiple well-established astronomical observations of black holes, such as X-ray binaries and gravitational effects on nearby matter, that provide convincing evidence of their existence.
Option 2: 'Black holes emit other kinds of particles like neutrinos' While high-energy processes around black holes can produce various particles, a black hole itself does not continually emit a detectable stream of neutrinos as proof of its existence. Neutrino signals are not the primary or most reliable method for identifying black holes.
Option 3: 'Black holes emit lots of non-visible radiation' This is misleading. A black hole does not emit radiation from within itself; any radiation we detect typically comes from the hot accretion disk or jets, not from the hole itself. Also, it’s not accurate to say they emit 'lots' of non-visible radiation as a general feature.
Option 4: 'We can observe how its gravity influences its surroundings' This is the correct interpretation. Black holes reveal themselves through indirect effects: gravitational influence on nearby stars and gas, accretion disks emitting X-rays, relativistic jets, and gravitational lensing. These observations rely on gravity rather than direct light from the hole itself.
In summary, the most reliable evidence comes from noticing the gravitational effects on the surrounding environment, rather than expecting light from the black hole itself. The other statements mischaracterize the emission properties or observational signatures of black holes.

ASTR-1-45046-F25 Lecture: The Stellar Graveyard

If a black holes emits no light, how are we able to detect them?

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