Abstract
How do you study something that is, by definition, impossible to see? That’s the quandary faced by astrophysicists interested in black holes. The singularity itself – the point inside a black hole where the laws of physics break down – remains the most enigmatic monster in the astronomical bestiary. But as for the other properties of black holes – well, astrophysicists have learned lots about them. The key to unlocking the secrets of black holes is to look at them through X-ray telescopes.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Webb, S. (2012). Where God divides by zero. In: New Eyes on the Universe. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2194-8_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2194-8_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-2193-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-2194-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)