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Can someone confirm this astronomical calculation re: distance of nearest black hole?

Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:21 pm
Posted by 4Bagger
Member since Jan 2025
584 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:21 pm
In trying to explain to my nephew how far we are from the nearest black hole this is what I came up with:

If you hold four sheets of paper together with an outer sheet being blue representing earth and the other outer sheet being yellow representing the sun, and the distance between the blue and yellow sheet represent the distance between the earth and sun then the nearest black hole is 20 miles away from the blue sheet.

I think that's a fairly close calculation, but how far off am I?
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
155215 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:23 pm to
I’m sorry, I was told there would be no math.
Posted by BoogaBear
Member since Jul 2013
6917 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:23 pm to
Let me AI that for you
Posted by OWLFAN86
Erotic Novelist
Member since Jun 2004
193992 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:24 pm to
Posted by terd ferguson
Darren Wilson Fan Club President
Member since Aug 2007
113764 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:25 pm to
quote:

Let me AI that for you


No shite... what an idiot
Posted by TigerMond84
Member since Dec 2014
523 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:25 pm to
Sounds about right. The nearest black hole I would assume is the center of our own galaxy and we are sort of kind of on the outer edge, so the distance to our sun is nothing in comparison.
Posted by Innit
Member since Aug 2024
29 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:27 pm to
You realize you’re on tigerdroppings innit
Posted by Pedro
Geaux Hawks
Member since Jul 2008
37925 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:28 pm to
You’re high and your nephew is a chair with a jacket hanging over it.
Posted by Knight of Old
New Hampshire
Member since Jul 2007
12485 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:28 pm to
If you are saying that the width of two sheets of paper is analogous to one astronomical unit and the multiple of that width equals twenty miles, which itself would be analogous to the distance from Earth to said black hole, that’s fine.

However, I have not a clue how far it is from Earth to the nearest black hole…
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
94560 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:29 pm to
:inb4yourmom:
Posted by TigerMond84
Member since Dec 2014
523 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:32 pm to
Just googled it. Sure Nuff, it’s three hundred fifty miles.
Posted by RougeDawg
Member since Jul 2016
7260 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:32 pm to
Are we talking notebook paper or a fine card stock?
Posted by rds dc
Member since Jun 2008
20975 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:33 pm to
quote:


Sounds about right. The nearest black hole I would assume is the center of our own galaxy


That would be Sagittarius A. There are much closer known black holes and probably even closer ones that haven't been detected.

Posted by TigerMond84
Member since Dec 2014
523 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:34 pm to
Good to know. Should have said at worst, center of galaxy.
Posted by Sun God
Member since Jul 2009
49478 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:34 pm to







Posted by HughsWorkPhone
Member since Sep 2017
1420 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:35 pm to
quote:

If you hold four sheets of paper together with an outer sheet being blue representing earth and the other outer sheet being yellow representing the sun


I wouldn't have a piece of paper represent the earth and have the sun three sheets away

But the rest may be accurate
This post was edited on 8/7/25 at 9:36 pm
Posted by 4Bagger
Member since Jan 2025
584 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:37 pm to
quote:

However, I have not a clue how far it is from Earth to the nearest black hole…


Apparently a black hole is 1600 light years away and the sun is 8 light minutes away.
Posted by Artificial Ignorance
Member since Feb 2025
1424 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:38 pm to
I just Google mapped nearest black hole.

It is at intersection of Planck Rd. and Hwy Gaia BH1 in Central, La.
Posted by TrueTiger
Chicken's most valuable
Member since Sep 2004
79574 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:39 pm to
Just tell him not to worry about things he can't control.
Posted by 4Bagger
Member since Jan 2025
584 posts
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:40 pm to
quote:

I wouldn't have a piece of paper represent the earth and have the sun three sheets away


I got as small as millimeters in my calculation and sheets of paper are usually .1mm thick.
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