Question:
Does a black hole's accretion disk spin clockwise, or counter-clockwise?
anonymous
2006-07-05 12:37:39 UTC
in the northern hemisphere, water down a drain spins counter clockwise and in the southern hemisphere, clockwise because of the coriolis effect. but what about in space? do the rules of the coriolis effect apply there, because space is a vast, empty plain where newton's laws can almost not be conflicted with. knowing that, why do most orbits, especially earth, travel around the sun counter-clockwise? the coriolis effect cannot have anything to do with that.
Eleven answers:
I am rock
2006-07-06 05:08:30 UTC
The spin of the black hole may differ form black hole to black hole. Traveling in space the greatest fear is to be trapped in a black hole, since the black hole is invisible. The gravitational pull of a black hole is so powerful that it can attract stars towards it and keep the stars in circular orbit around it, like the suns gravitational pull keeps the 9 planet in an orbit around it. So when ever you come across a group of star moving in a circular orbit around a particular point in space it is clear that there is a black hole. If the star is orbiting clockwise then the black hole has a clockwise spin and if the stars are orbiting anti-clockwise then the back hole has a anti-clockwise spin.
campbelp2002
2006-07-05 19:47:33 UTC
All the planets in our solar system travel the same way because they are one dynamical system sharing a common angular momentum. In other words, they are all related. Other solar systems orbit in different directions. Within each solar system, all the planets will orbit the same direction, but different solar systems can orbit in different directions. It has nothing whatever to do with the Coriolis force.



(EDIT)

Oh, and to answer your main question, a black hole's accretion disk could spin in any direction. All the matter at one black hole would spin one way, but other black holes could have other directions.
AMZMD
2006-07-05 19:45:50 UTC
This is a questioned based on fixed perspective. Depending on whether you view the earths orbit from above or below dictates whether you consider the orbit to be clockwise or counterclockwise. Both answers are right depending on your "point of view" so to speak. The same holds true with black holes!
simply_made
2006-07-05 19:49:29 UTC
where there is gravity on a another planet or star the same coriolis effect will happen. However it would depend on the rotation or spin direction of the gravity mass if the forces will be reversed.
ilonaloisa
2006-07-05 19:45:03 UTC
It all depends on where in the universe you are observing the Black Hole See: Einstein's theory or Relativity
Thermo
2006-07-05 22:21:55 UTC
Both. It depends from which side to observe.
anonymous
2006-07-05 19:58:15 UTC
no one knows because you cant actually see a black hole you can just see its affects
Indigo7
2006-07-05 19:43:14 UTC
I am not sure but i do know that blackholes have hair
guod
2006-07-05 19:44:05 UTC
depends on what side of the equater its on
jackpack
2006-07-05 19:41:53 UTC
both its gets pulled from all angles
mye j
2006-07-05 19:41:36 UTC
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