12. Does a black hole really have gravitational pull so strong that it could stretch you out? What would happen? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

If an unfortunate astronaut were to venture near a small black hole, he would find that the gravitational forces exerted on his feet and head would be so dramatically different that something called "spaghettification" would occur. The very same forces that cause the ocean tides on the Earth would operate on our poor astronaut, but with an effect that is trillions of times stronger that the tidal forces exerted by the Moon on the Earth. The hapless astronaut's torso would be stretched and compressed thinner and thinner like a strand of spaghetti well before disappearing over the event horizon on his way to oblivion. A larger black hole would have a much more gentle gravitational force which might be survivable but with no way to send a message to the outside world, it too would be a one way trip to oblivion.

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Answer provided by Jim Zebrowski

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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