Have we got any chess astronomers out there that are interested in chess and astronomy. Heres the place to discuss all the space there is. I'll start off!!!!

Whats everyones opinion on the mainstream (BBT)?

Big Bang Theory is a good explanation of the observations (expansion of the universe, abundance of elements etc) but is hampered by the lack agreement between relativity and quantum mechanics. Until someone produces a workable quantum theory of gravity we will never be able to examine the moment of the big bang.

any other comments on the BBT?(big bang theory)

OK i'd like to know a bit more on black holes i no as much as you can detect them when u look up at a star at night and the next night u look up in exactly the same place and it is not there!!!!!

Any comments would be good!!!

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Stars that vanish are not necessariuly black holes. A variable star can go below visible magnitude and seem to vanish, Mira is an example of that phenomenon. Other stars suddenly flare into visibility and appear as a "new" star hence the name nova.

 

Black holes themselves can only be detected by their effect on other things around them. For example, the super massive black hole in the centre of our galaxy has been detected by measuring the speed at which stars near the galactic centre are orbiting the black hole. Smaller, stellar mass black holes are often detected by the effect they have on another star forming a binary pair with the black hole. 

Wow cheers for the information Sharukin. This helps alot towards my science project on space and the universe.

If you want to know more just ask! I am supposed to be an astrophysicist although I teach mathematics.