'Ripped asunder by shadow': The fate of a person plummeting into a singularity?

How would it register to plummet into a black hole? In his upcoming release, “Facing Infinity,” author and physicist Jonas Enander shares details in graphic form.(Image credit: NASA Goddard)

Be thankful for black holes. These enigmatical, fearsome and constantly captivating entities act as gravity’s linchpins for each major galaxy – including our own — and are instrumental in the regulation of stellar genesis across the universe. They stand as the most lightless objects known, yet inquisitive humans are allured to them much like moths drawn to a 100,000 solar mass beacon.

In his new literary work “Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth” (The Experiment, 2025), science author and physicist Jonas Enander leads us through epochs and expanses to decode the history, the science, and the persistent fascination surrounding black holes. From a Hawaiian observatory set atop a volcano that aided in the capture of the landmark initial image of a black hole, to a field of battle from World War I in France where one of astrophysics’ most significant equations took form, Enander engages with Nobel recipients and retraces the paths forged by some of physics’ premier minds to situate these colossal astronomical phenomena in a relatable, human dimension.

The voyage commences at a chilling conclusion — with an unlucky astronaut spiraling into a black hole’s gullet. Sample an exclusive excerpt from “Facing Infinity” hereunder.

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The shadow possesses a quality that is simultaneously sinister and enticing. Echoing the voyagers of yesteryear, you are advancing into uncharted territory. You are positioned to uncover the events transpiring in one of the universe’s most atypical locales, a site yet to be seen by anyone else.

There does, however, exist a divergence between you and those explorers: after they scouted faraway lands, they could journey back and recount their discoveries. You will be unable to journey back and communicate your experiences with fellow humans. Post your descent into the black hole, there’s no turning back. Its gravitational strength is insurmountable. The darkness is destined to swallow you for good.

All that registers is the subtle contact of your spacesuit against your form, and the cadence of your breathing, though an emerging thudding is felt, increasing in resonance alongside the darkness. You perceive this to be your own heartbeat.

Jonas Enander, Facing Infinity

Your trajectory plunges into a chasm of space and time characterized by immense gravitational force. Yet, freefall in space bears no similarity to falling upon terra firma. On Earth, you would feel the rush of air against your face and the rustle of your attire in the wind. In the void of space, however, air and sound are absent. The sole sensation is the faint rubbing of your spacesuit, and your breath, though the escalating thud of your pulse becomes more prominent as the shadow deepens. It feels as if your heart anticipates what lies in the darkness, as though it understands something must be forfeited to unveil the mysteries within.

Knowledge demands its price. The greater the knowledge, the higher the cost. Unearthing the happenings within the most obscure and peculiar sites across the universe requires the ultimate sacrifice: your very existence.

The exact instant this occurs is influenced by the black hole’s dimensions. Greater dimensions equate to a prolonged survival period. The black hole toward which you are drawn is approximately the dimensions of our solar system. Passage across its threshold is imperceptible, yet only fleeting hours remain thereafter.

As a star plummets into a black hole, the gravity stretches and tears it apart in a process called “spaghettification.”

The dark sphere gradually dominates your vision. The surrounding light undergoes transformation as the darkness expands. Multiple reflections of starlight manifest on each flank of the black hole. Concurrently, the starlight intensifies, becoming compressed at the periphery of the black hole. The realization dawns that darkness reigns over light. The immense gravity of the black hole bends the starlight, creating multiple paths that magnify its radiance. Phantom stars materialize in space, akin to mirages in an arid landscape. These odd duplications throw off your orientation. You yearn to communicate to companions the rising fear instilled by the encroaching darkness, the twisting light of the stars, and your sense of helplessness. Nevertheless, transmission is futile, since the event horizon marks the point of no return for communication. You will face these final instants within the shadows, unaccompanied.

Deep within this abyss lies a point of such extraordinary density that its nature defies comprehension. This point is referred to as the singularity. Everything crossing the event horizon will inevitably converge upon the singularity, where matter and light exist in a state of profound distortion, seemingly eradicating space and time.

Your descent accelerates toward the darkness, offering no means of escape. You rotate your head, scanning the surrounding space, which fades increasingly into shadow. The capacity to orient yourself diminishes, blurring the lines between your origin, your distance from the black hole, and your present location. Are you already engulfed? The answer eludes you. No signpost marks the event horizon, proclaiming ‘You are now beyond the point of no return.’

… all components of your corporeal form elongate, from the osseous framework to sinews and muscles, cascading down to neural fibers, cells, and deoxyribonucleic acid.

Jonas Enander, Facing Infinity

The pitch-black sphere looms, all-encompassing. Frantically, you flail limbs in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable drift toward the singularity. There exists no exit strategy. All that follows is perspiration.

Closing your eyes, you inhale deeply, pondering the impending fate. Journeying into a black hole feet-first subjects the lower extremities to greater forces than the upper body, initiating a separation. However, unlike torture racks, this dismemberment involves a comprehensive elongation of all components of your corporeal form, from the osseous framework to sinews and muscles, cascading down to neural fibers, cells, and deoxyribonucleic acid. Gratifyingly, this experience is relatively painless. The time frame between initial awareness of pain and the moment of eradication is scant. Distinct from Earthly burial, no remains are left behind. Your physique dissolves completely into the murk.

The odor of your own sweat saturates your spacesuit. Shallow breaths turn to panting, accompanied by piercing pain ascending from feet to cranium. Tensing every fiber, you futilely strive to resist the stretching.