If our super massive black hole were to be active..?

Question

Apparently from what I hear there are super massive black holes in the center of all galaxies. Some of them active, some of them inactive. What would happen if the S.M.B.H. in our milky way galaxy would be active? Would it be a disaster?

Answer 1

Black holes are all 'active'.  It's not as if they turn off their gravitational field.  It's always there.  Our Sun, along with all the other stars in the Milky Way, are in a stable orbit around the black hole and in no danger of getting 'sucked in'.  If our Sun became a black hole tomorrow (it won't, there's no way it could, but if it did) the Earth wouldn't be sucked in.  The Sun would still be the same mass, and have the same gravitational field, and the Earth would continue to orbit as if nothing happened.

Answer 2

i think it will not be a disaster necause even though it has great gravitational pull that even light cannot escape it will have very little effect on us or maybe not.

wait a minute there's an inactive black hole!

Answer 3

it COULD be. because the black hole may suck up the entire milky way galaxy. there is a great possibility. just in case that the black hole in our galaxy is inactive. there won't be a total disaster but we should be alarmed and prepare to ---- you know.... like... vanish.. die...evaporate...etc...=)

Answer 4

????

What, exactly, is an 'inactive' black hole?

Doug

Answer 5

It seems to be spinning....quite rapidly:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/my...

Answer 6

If a black hole could exist it would always be active.