Astrophysicists have long suspected black holes act like wormhole tunnels between two distant points in the universe. Black hole researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth have now revealed some types of black holes open up new possibilities for space travel. Until now, the general scientific consensus was spaceships attempting to dash through a black hole would surely face a grim end. However, black holes such as Sagittarius A*, which sits at the centre of the Milky Way, might interact with physical objects in a completely different manner.
According to Gaurav Khanna, from the University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth, large and slowly spinning black holes like Sagittarius A* might allow for safe passage.
In a research article published in The Conservation, the scientist said: “The reason that this is possible is that the relevant singularity inside a rotating black hole is technically ‘weak’, and thus does not damage objects that interact with it.
“At first, this fact may seem counter-intuitive. But one can think of it as analogous to the common experience of quickly passing one’s finger through a candle’s near 2,000-degree flame, without getting burned.”
Together with fellow scientist Lior Burko of Georgia Gwinnett College, the physicists studied whether or nor astronauts can survive ventures into black holes.