From: plethora@pinatas.com   
      
   "David"  wrote in message   
   news:8ff609a8.0401261945.2801b4b5@posting.google.com...   
   > Hello all, I recently watched a show on Discovery about supermassive   
   > black holes.  Black holes have always fascinated me and this show what   
   > also very interesting.  I have a question though. Black holes   
   > supposedly have such a strong gravitational pull that nothing can   
   > escape them, not even light, so why is it that there are streams of   
   > energy that emanate from the black hole.  How can this energy escape   
   > the gravitational pull of the black hole?  Please understand that I am   
   > not a physicist or an astronomer, this is just a passing interest, but   
   > I am puzzled by this.  Can someone explain to me how and why this   
   > happens.   
      
   Nothing can escape from the black hole once it passes the "event horizon,"   
   but up to that point it's possible.  X-rays can be emitted as gas is drawn   
   into the black hole and becomes superheated.  Also, a small percentage of   
   supermassive black holes emit "jets" of material, shooting out in opposite   
   directions from the black hole.  There are various theories about why this   
   happens but AFAIK it really isn't well understood.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)