What are Blanets?
Blanets are a hypothetical class of exoplanets that orbit black holes directly.
They are fundamentally similar to other planets.
They have enough mass to be rounded by their own gravity, but are not massive enough to start thermonuclear fusion and become stars.
The concept of blanets was first proposed in 2019 by a team of astronomers led by Keiichi Wada of Kagoshima University in Japan.
They theorized that the dust clouds around supermassive black holes could provide the necessary environment for planet formation.
Formation of Blanets:
Similar to how planets form around stars, blanets are thought to form from the gravitational collapse of dust and gas swirling around black holes.
Over time, dust particles collide and stick together, gradually forming larger and larger clumps.
Eventually, these clumps become massive enough for their own gravity to pull in more material, and a planet is born.
Conditions for Blanet Formation:
However, not all black holes can host blanets.
The key factor is the distance between the black hole and the dust cloud.
If the dust cloud is too close to the black hole, the intense gravitational pull would tear it apart, preventing planet formation.
Conversely, if the dust cloud is too far away, the gravitational pull wouldn't be strong enough to overcome the outward pressure of the gas particles, again hindering planet formation.
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