Answer to Question #20932 in Astronomy | Astrophysics for Mark Hughs

Question

What would happen in the following scenarios. A at rest black hole of 3 solar masses, but with the moving mass of 1 million solar masses due to relativistic velocity, impacts an at rest black hole of 1 million solar masses.
1, a direct hit (if possible) where the 2 point masses merge
2. a near miss of the 2 point masses
3. the speeding black hole intersects the at rest black hole at the tangent of the event horizon of the at rest black hole.

It seems to me in cases 1 and 2,that once the moving black hole enters the event horizon of the large at rest black hole, it would start to shed all its mass once it hits the large at rest back hole's center or passes by it. Once a object enters the event horizon, it can't leave regardless of it's velocity. so as the moving black hole passess the other's center, it starts to loose velocity and mass. I would think this would generate a massive gravity pulse. Suddenly, the mass is shed and the gravity is reduced. But, i'm just a programmer and haven't got a clue.