A dark hole wandering the universe. The lone wolf, they say.

Michael and Mason at the Pa’ia Youth and Cultural Center re-enact the scene of rogue dark holes colliding in the Milky Way. If you thought the wild west was rough, you’ve got another thing coming. It can really get out of hand when trouble goes galactic!

Listen here [6:12m]:

What’s the facts:

A dark hole is a region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, including light, can escape its pull.  Despite its “invisibility”, a dark hole can reveal its presence through interaction with the matter it is sucking in, which produces high energy X-ray radiation. Newly merged dark holes might be so jarred by the experience that they go “rogue,” careening into space on unexpected trajectories.   In fact, a recent study indicates that hundreds of these rogue dark holes could exist in the Milky Way galaxy.  Better watch your back!

Original air date 19 July 2009.