The time has come for a monumental showdown in our Solar System. In one corner, Jupiter is a massive gas giant that weighs heavily as a contender. In the other corner, a tiny but spine-chilling black hole awaits. Before the fight, let’s briefly examine the obstacles each contender is about to face.
Let’s begin with the most famous member of our Solar System: Jupiter. As the fifth planet from the Sun, it is approximately 740 million km (460 million mi) away. Being a gas giant, it is also the largest planet, with a mass that is 318 times greater than Earth’s and twice as massive as all the other planets combined in our immediate vicinity. However, appearances can be deceiving. Despite its heavyweight status, Jupiter is not as dense when pitted against its rival.
Black holes, specifically stellar ones, are considerably smaller than gas giants, but their density makes them incredibly powerful. The reason for their power lies in their density; all matter within a black hole is concentrated within an infinitely small point called a singularity. The standard concepts of space and time break down inside this tiny region. As objects with mass, black holes possess immense gravity, making them incredibly strong. Most stellar black holes are the remnants of massive stars and have a group ranging from three to 10 times that of our Sun. However, due to their density, a black hole with a mass of 10 solar masses would only have a diameter of 60 kilometres (37 miles) if it appeared in our Solar System.
Could Jupiter, a gas giant, prevail against its minuscule but incredibly mighty adversary, or would it simply succumb to the black hole’s inescapable grasp? Every object in the Universe hurtles through space at tremendous velocities, the Sun and our Solar System among them, moving at a staggering 720,000 km/h (448,000 mph). As we participate in this cosmic waltz, a neighbouring star might approach near enough to alter the outermost reaches of our Solar System, or worse yet, we may collide with one of the nearly one billion black holes tearing through the Milky Way galaxy.
The likelihood of such an event is admittedly low, given that the nearest star in our vicinity is situated at a distance exceeding four light-years. According to scientific estimates, the probability of another star creeping close enough to perturb the outer reaches of our Solar System is only about 1%. Furthermore, the chances of a wandering star approaching near enough to interfere with Jupiter are even more remote. Nonetheless, however improbable, there remains a possibility that such an occurrence could transpire.
As the insidious force of annihilation approached us, the initial impact of the black hole would be felt in the Oort cloud. This vast region encircling our Solar System resembles a colossal spherical shell teeming with icy entities. However, these frozen behemoths, some as big as mountains, would prove insignificant against the might of a black hole. As this minuscule yet gargantuan horror dragged them along, it would be evident that an explosive encounter with Jupiter was imminent.
As the gravitational intruder traverses through the Kuiper belt, it would cause widespread destruction. Numerous icy objects, such as the dwarf planet Pluto, would be displaced from their regular orbits, endangering the region’s stability. This presents a grave threat to Earth, as many of these objects could potentially collide with our planet, posing a significant danger.
As the black hole traversed Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn, it would strip away their gases, creating a disc of superheated gas and dust known as an accretion disk around the intruding gravity well. Furthermore, any planet too close to the black hole would be in danger of being ejected from their orbits.
If the black hole were to approach Jupiter, it would exert its force on the gas giant, causing a similar effect on its atmosphere. Hydrogen and helium gases would be stripped away from Jupiter by the black hole, like a yarn ball being unravelled. Ultimately, Jupiter would be consumed by the black hole, rendering the encounter one-sided and unfair. Jupiter would not have a chance to retaliate.
If the current level of violence isn’t enough, brace yourself for what’s to come. As Jupiter’s gas-rich atmosphere gets devoured by the greedy and massive monster, it will unleash a violent burst of UV and X-rays in every direction. This burst can be likened to a colossal belch infused with lethal radiation. The radiation will swiftly hurtle towards Earth, and within an hour, significant amounts of radioactive substances will rain down on us, posing a grave danger to life.
Looking at the positive aspect, you would have the opportunity to witness the black hole in the sky. However, the stability we currently experience within our Solar System would disappear as the black hole would consume everything within its reach, including our planet.
Assuming we could avoid the worst of the black hole’s destructive effects, our Solar System would have to establish a new gravitational equilibrium without Jupiter. Jupiter played a crucial role in our local system, using its immense gravitational pull to shield the inner planets, including Earth, from potential collisions with asteroids and comets. Additionally, Jupiter’s presence helped maintain the nearly circular orbit of Earth around the Sun.
Assuming we survive the gravitational disturbances caused by a rogue black hole, our planet’s survival would still be in jeopardy without Jupiter. The absence of this massive gas giant would drastically reduce our chances of long-term survival. However, believing that the black hole would consume Jupiter and then suddenly halt is unrealistic. The inevitable truth is that it will eventually engulf our planet as well. If that happens, you will witness firsthand the terrifying consequences of being drawn into a black hole’s event horizon. The only hope of survival would be to travel faster than the speed of light, as annihilation would otherwise be inevitable.