Re:What if Planet 9 is a Primordial Black Hole? (2019)
by Qem on Friday August 13, 2021 @11:25AM
(#28170079)
It would be a cheap source of additional speed for spacecraft in the outer solar system, by means of powered gravity assists. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberth_effect
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:What if Planet 9 is a Primordial Black Hole? (2019)
by KineticLensman on Friday August 13, 2021 @12:27PM
(#28171043)
> additional speed for spacecraft
Extreme rip-your-craft-to-bits tidal effects [0] would make life exciting. Also, see 'Neutron Star' by Larry Niven for a description of such a manoeuvre, albeit a less dangerous one than than sling-shoting a black Hole because of the larger size of the neutron star.
Re:What if Planet 9 is a Primordial Black Hole? (2019)
by piyh on Friday August 13, 2021 @03:50PM
(#28173699)
If you were really precise, you could tune your assist based on distance. You could get a pretty sick change in angular momentum relative to the sun since you wouldn't have to worry about hitting atmosphere or terrain. If you're far away you feel nothing, if you're too close you join the singularity, and everything in between is gravy.
Imagine getting a 1970's style planetary alignment, going with a Voyager style slingshot and your final assist is a couple thousand miles away from a black hole.