As the falling rocket approaches the black hole's event horizon, what does the observer see?

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Enhance your knowledge for the ASU PHY101 Exam. Prepare with multiple choice questions, flashcards, and explanations. Get exam ready with ease!

As the rocket approaches the event horizon of a black hole, an observer located far away will witness a very specific set of phenomena dictated by the effects of extreme gravitational fields and the nature of spacetime.

When the rocket gets closer to the black hole, it appears to slow down significantly as it approaches the event horizon. In fact, due to the intense gravitational pull of the black hole, the light emitted from the rocket becomes increasingly redshifted. This means that the wavelengths of the light stretch, causing it to diminish in intensity and eventually fade away. The observer perceives this slowing down due to the relativity of time and the significant warping of spacetime caused by the black hole's gravity.

Ultimately, from the observer's perspective, the rocket appears to never quite cross the horizon, as it becomes increasingly dim and distorted. This results in the visual effect of the rocket slowing down and seemingly stopping at the event horizon. Therefore, the observation that the falling rocket slows down and never crosses the horizon accurately encapsulates the unusual and counterintuitive nature of objects near a black hole as described by the principles of general relativity.

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