đź“–Quran 56:75:76
Then I swear by the setting of the stars, And indeed, it is an oath – if you could know – [most] great.
- The scientific explanation of how the end-of-life of a massive star can lead to the formation of a black hole, and the effects this process has on the fabric of spacetime, in accordance with the theory of general relativity. This is a scientific perspective that seeks to explain the physical processes involved in the formation of black holes and their effects on the surrounding universe. The phrase “setting place” is used to refer to the location in spacetime where the star ultimately collapses to form a black hole. This is an interpretation of the physical processes that is based on current scientific understanding and observation.
đź“–Quran 81:15-16
So I swear by the retreating stars – Those that run [their courses] and disappear.
đź“–Quran 77:8
So when the stars are obliterated
The phrase “the retreating stars – Those that run [their courses] and disappear when the stars are obliterated” is a poetic way of describing how stars can be consumed by black holes. Black holes are incredibly dense objects in space that have a powerful gravitational force. When a star gets too close to a black hole, its gravity can pull the star towards it. As the star gets closer, the gravitational force becomes stronger and can cause the star to be “pulled in” towards the black hole. As the star gets closer to the black hole, it can be ripped apart by the strong gravitational forces, creating a stream of gas and dust. This stream of gas and dust is called an accretion disk and can become very hot and bright as it spirals around the black hole. Some of this material may be ejected in powerful jets of radiation and particles, while the rest of it is consumed by the black hole. The phrase “retreating stars” may also refer to stars that are moving away from the observer, such as stars that are setting below the horizon, or stars that are moving away from the observer due to the expansion of the universe. However, in the context of the phrase “the retreating stars – Those that run [their courses] and disappear when the stars are obliterated”, it refers to stars that are being pulled towards a black hole and disappearing as they are consumed by it.
- Overall, the phrase is a poetic way of describing the process of a star being pulled into a black hole and disappearing. It highlights the awe-inspiring power of black holes and how they can consume everything that gets too close.
Overview of the Life Cycle of Stars
- Stellar Nursery: Stars begin their lives as clouds of gas and dust, called nebulae, in space.
- Protostar: As gravity pulls the gas and dust together, the cloud collapses into a ball of gas, called a protostar.
- Main Sequence: When the temperature in the core of the protostar reaches about 15 million degrees Celsius, nuclear fusion begins and the protostar becomes a star. Most of a star’s life is spent in this phase, where it fuses hydrogen atoms into helium.
- Red Giant: When the hydrogen fuel in the core begins to run out, the star begins to expand and becomes a red giant. It fuses helium into heavier elements, such as carbon and oxygen.
- Planetary Nebula: Eventually, the red giant will lose its outer layers and become a hot, dense core called a white dwarf. The outer layers form a beautiful glowing cloud of gas called a planetary nebula.
- Supernova: The largest stars will end their lives in a massive explosion called a supernova. The explosion will release an enormous amount of energy and heavy elements, which will be scattered throughout space.
- Neutron Star or Black Hole: The core of the supernova may become a neutron star or a black hole, depending on its mass.
Here are some scientific resources that discuss the lifecycle of stars and the creation of black holes:
- NASA: How Do Black Holes Form? – This page from NASA’s website provides an overview of the process of black hole formation, which is tied to the lifecycle of massive stars: What is Black Hole?
- National Geographic: How Do Stars Form and Die? – This article from National Geographic explores the lifecycle of stars and how they eventually end their lives as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes: Everything you wanted to know about stars
