Are we in danger of becoming a victim of a black hole?

Recently I saw a program about black holes. I learn the awesome power of the black holes, but I was not aware that they drift thru space like comets. And according to specialist, we have nearly a million black holes in our glaxay (the milky way). If this is true, simple calculation would tell me that we are in high danger of becoming a victim. Am I paranoid or do others have another theory on that?

Our entire galaxy is in danger. Our galaxy, aswell as many others, are all being pulled to the center of the galaxy, where the largest collection of black holes are, which will eventually consume all the galaxies that it pulls in. In the meantime, galaxies, because of the pull, are colliding together.

We are in more danger of nuking ourselves long before a black hole gobbled us all up !!! I woul'nt worry about it !

Originally posted by chris_dk
And according to specialist, we have nearly a million black holes in our glaxay (the milky way). If this is true, simple calculation would tell me that we are in high danger of becoming a victim. Am I paranoid or do others have another theory on that?

Compared to the number of stars in the galaxy, millions is a pretty small number. There is also the consideration that many black holes are tied up in orbits with a partner star (or stars) which would rule out any "drifting" toward Earth.

Additionally, all the native material in our galaxy is rotating with the same orientation and direction around the galactic center. Any "drifting" by a rogue black hole would be in the same direction as everything else is "drifting."

My guess is we have more important and more likely disasters to worry about than this particular one.

Harte

I thank you all for these replies. I admit that it has worried me for some time, but when you all put it in that perspective, it's better now!

Originally posted by WolfofWar
Our entire galaxy is in danger. Our galaxy, aswell as many others, are all being pulled to the center of the galaxy, where the largest collection of black holes are, which will eventually consume all the galaxies that it pulls in. In the meantime, galaxies, because of the pull, are colliding together.

There's a center of the galaxy? how can there be a center if the galaxy is infinite?

We are much more likely to be destroyed by an asteroid or, in the end, our own sun than a black hole. There is no evidence of a black hole near our solar system that could affect us.

Originally posted by DirtyWater33
There's a center of the galaxy? how can there be a center if the galaxy is infinite?

Because galaxies are not infinite. They're quite finite. I believe you're thinking of the universe being infinite.

And even still, there is a center of the universe. It's relative to the observer. So technically, everyone is the center of the universe.

Originally posted by DirtyWater33

Originally posted by WolfofWar
Our entire galaxy is in danger. Our galaxy, aswell as many others, are all being pulled to the center of the galaxy, where the largest collection of black holes are, which will eventually consume all the galaxies that it pulls in. In the meantime, galaxies, because of the pull, are colliding together.

There's a center of the galaxy? how can there be a center if the galaxy is infinite?

if its growing outwards then theres going to be a centre isn't there?

bleh, not galaxy, Universe. sorry, my bad, was rushing that topic. our galaxy, aswell as others, are being pulled towards large cluster black holes ("super" black holes), if I remember correctly, in the center of the universe (or in the relative area)

Originally posted by WolfofWar
bleh, not galaxy, Universe. sorry, my bad, was rushing that topic. our galaxy, aswell as others, are being pulled towards large cluster black holes ("super" black holes), if I remember correctly, in the center of the universe (or in the relative area)

Our galaxy(the Milky Way) will first be impacted by the Andromeda Galaxy, which is bearing down on us as we speak. The resulting mixed-up galaxy will then, along with the rest of the "local group" of galaxies, be eventually taken into another group of galaxies (seems like its in Pegasus, but I can't remember so I'm probably wrong about the location.)

Every galaxy we have looked at so far has a "super black hole" at it's center. We are not in danger of being pulled into it, nor is almost all of the rest of the Milky Way in danger of this. The supermassive black hole at the center of our (and most other) galaxies has finished it's "feeding stage" and is content to swallow the occaisional stellar morsel that gets pushed in it's direction by gravitational influences from other bodies. We will have to contend with the supermassive black hole at the center of the Andromeda galaxy when it gets here. The combination of these two black holes, along with their consuming of all the materials the impact will throw their way, will most likely kill all the life in this galaxy. It's the radiation given off in the process that will do this.

And by the way, there is no "center of the universe," other than the subjective center that exists at every point in the universe, as mentioned in one of the previous posts. The universe is expanding. The universe is made out of spacetime. Therefore spacetime itself is what is expanding. Many have a problem with this concept, but I (and others here) can assure you that this is true. Hence, the universe itself is it's own center, there is no region of the universe that is more central than any other region.

Harte

You know, there's hundreds billions stars in Milky Way so which might be more propable, collision to black hole or star?

And actually that black hole has weaker gravity than its "predecessor"... later phases of star's evolution and supernova explosion cause considerable loss of mass and it's mass which dictates amount of gravity.

Originally posted by WolfofWar
Our entire galaxy is in danger. Our galaxy, aswell as many others, are all being pulled to the center of the galaxy, where the largest collection of black holes are, which will eventually consume all the galaxies that it pulls in.

Wrong, galaxy doesn't collapse to its center black hole, all matter in Milky Way is in balance between its speed and gravity caused be rest of galaxy. (gravity tries to pull it to center but objects speed keeps it in its orbit)
So unless you magically can add considerable amount of matter to nucleus of Milky Way there's no way it will collapse. (by itself)

And that same amount of matter (with its same gravity) was there even before it formed that blackhole.

Originally posted by Wirral Bagpuss
We are in more danger of nuking ourselves long before a black hole gobbled us all up !!!

I woul'nt worry about it !

No need for nukes, man is excessively capable to destroying itself with conventional pollution and destruction of environment.

From what i heard , we've actually got a super massive black hole sitting in our galaxy and it's going to get us .But that's in like 5000 or 50000 years i think.

Haha even if there is a black hole out there and we do somehow get killed and all life ends what is anyone going to do about it. Haha sorry to be a pessimist but i think thats reality.

There is a supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way, but we're sitting on the tip of an arm of this galaxy: not even close to it.

Yeah, and the odds of being "sucked up" by a black hole hurtling through the galaxy are very slim. The Milky Way is 100,000 light-years across, and if there are about a million in the galaxy, that's 10 per square light-year, right? Nope. Many are bound by a star, and the majority of them are in the center. If there were black holes close to us, we'd know about them.

Even if we were in danger, it'll be FAR FAR from our lifetimes. So don't worry about it.

My real concern is, if these blackholes indeed drift thru space randomly like comets and astroides, then wouldn't there be a chance that there's a blackhole drifting towards us at this very moment?