What happens when two black holes collide?

What happens when two black holes collide?

 The idea of two black holes interacting with each other is a topic of scientific fascination and expected to be incredibly powerful and dangerous. While it is nearly impossible for us to truly comprehend the power and consequences of two black holes merging, scientists have been able to hypothesise a few outcomes of such a scenario.

Firstly, the two black holes would first begin a process of mutual gravitation, with each one dragging the other closer and closer. This interaction will accelerate quickly, leading to the pair spiralling inwards towards the centre of their combined system. Once this happens, their gravity will be so potent that nothing can stop them from complete merging, including any material or light that might obstruct their path.

Once the two black holes make contact, their extreme gravitational pull will create colossal waves through the surrounding space-time. These waves will propagate outwards in all directions, much like the ripples formed when you drop a stone into a pond. However, these gravitational ripples, also known as gravitational waves, are believed to be so powerful that they will be felt by all matter in the universe.

In addition to producing huge amounts of radiation, the contact between two black holes will also cause them to create a strange and volatile environment around them. Their gravitational effects could cause objects to experience extreme heating or even be torn apart by the intense tidal forces created by the pair.

Finally, once the two black holes have been fully merged, nothing can escape from the resulting mass, not even light. What scientists believe will happen afterwards is that the merged black hole will continue to consume matter and energy, forming a single event horizon larger than the original ones.