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braiam t1_iv3biwq wrote

Reply to comment by roxmj8 in Closest known black hole to Earth spotted by astronomers by lunarmoonr

At that distance, it's not even in the range of our system gravitational forces to affect it.

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ssgrantox t1_iv3qorq wrote

The range of gravity is infinite, but the falloff means that it's effectively zero. But technically, it's not zero

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TehFuckDoIKnow t1_iv3w132 wrote

But it is a zero followed by a decimal point and then a number of zeros but also a non-zero amount of gravity. At least according to the math I can’t do.

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hermenaut t1_iv5ugnc wrote

I've heard gravity propagates at the speed of light.

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humbird_gs t1_iw5dtjr wrote

Not quite infinite. Gravity is limited by the speed of light.

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ssgrantox t1_iwc3mwu wrote

Ok how bout this? What is limit on how far light can travel in a vaccum? Thats the distance limit for gravity.

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humbird_gs t1_iw5drj6 wrote

I still eagerly await tabloid headlines shrieking about the imminent danger of earth being swallowed whole by a black hole.

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