<p>The answer is we do not have a firm theory for the formation of naked singularities. Physicists have identified conditions that would enable such singularities, but the conditions run afoul of limitations posed by our current theories of relativistic mechanics.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_singularity" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia article</a> referenced in the question describes the two simplest scenarios — and the problems associated with them.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>If an uncharged black hole is spinning fast enough, then the event horizon surrounding the associated ring singularity would disappear turning the proposed black hole into a naked ring singularity. But relativistic mechanics (involving the famed speed-of-light limit) appears to show that the required spin rate is beyond physically achievable conditions.</p>
</li>
<li><p>If a black hole has enough charge built into it, the electrostatic forces associated with this charge can cause the horizon to again disappear. But because the implied electrostatic energy is also additional mass in relativistic physics, the amount of charge apparently can't become large enough relative to the mass for the naked singularity to emerge.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-24T19:07:09.967Z
How can a black hole be charged?
ArchiveOfStars
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-24T19:12:07.073Z
Objects giving off charged particles need not remain neutral. Even Earth actually has chatge separation between the surface and the atmosphere, so if you include only the solid planet it's charged.
Oscar Lanzi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-24T19:16:40.670Z
so can a singularity be charged? Also for a naked singularity would the singularity need to be charged or the accretion disc or giving off enough energy through hawking radiation?
ArchiveOfStars
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-21T23:48:18.340Z
2024-06-21T23:48:18.340Z
Oscar Lanzi
<p>I was reading <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_singularity" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this Wikipedia article about naked singularities</a>, however I don't really understand the how a gravitational singularity can simply exist <em>without</em> an event horizon. Can someone explain/summarize the article for me? And what would an object like that look like to a human observer. Could such an object be the hypothesized white holes?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-23T15:50:07.363Z
It isn't possible. BH singularities are arguably a glorified *error* of Einstein's theory.
Mithoron
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-24T04:29:58.967Z
@Mithoron: This post is about naked singularities, i.e. singularities with no event horizon. Black hole singularities *do* exist inside event event horizons, according to current theory.
Lee Mosher
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-24T12:51:19.410Z
@LeeMosher Singularities are in the maths, and what they say is that Relativity isn't as great as people think, and better theory is needed. Therefore even considering some "naked singularities" is a waste of time. If you wanna do it nonetheless, check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_censorship_hypothesis for example.
Mithoron
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-24T13:11:28.603Z
https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/20349/5278
Mithoron
<black-hole><astrophysics><singularity><theories>
Someone explain how a naked singularity is possible
ArchiveOfStars
# Someone explain how a naked singularity is possible

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-06-20)

I was reading [this Wikipedia article about naked singularities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_singularity), however I don't really understand the how a gravitational singularity can simply exist *without* an event horizon. Can someone explain/summarize the article for me? And what would an object like that look like to a human observer. Could such an object be the hypothesized white holes?

**Tags:** black-hole, astrophysics, singularity, theories

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It isn't possible. BH singularities are arguably a glorified *error* of Einstein's theory.  
> **username_2**: @username_1: This post is about naked singularities, i.e. singularities with no event horizon. Black hole singularities *do* exist inside event event horizons, according to current theory.  
> **username_1**: @LeeMosher Singularities are in the maths, and what they say is that Relativity isn't as great as people think, and better theory is needed. Therefore even considering some "naked singularities" is a waste of time. If you wanna do it nonetheless, check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_censorship_hypothesis for example.  
> **username_1**: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/20349/5278  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-06-21. Score: 5

The answer is we do not have a firm theory for the formation of naked singularities. Physicists have identified conditions that would enable such singularities, but the conditions run afoul of limitations posed by our current theories of relativistic mechanics.

The [Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_singularity) referenced in the question describes the two simplest scenarios — and the problems associated with them.

* If an uncharged black hole is spinning fast enough, then the event horizon surrounding the associated ring singularity would disappear turning the proposed black hole into a naked ring singularity. But relativistic mechanics (involving the famed speed-of-light limit) appears to show that the required spin rate is beyond physically achievable conditions.
* If a black hole has enough charge built into it, the electrostatic forces associated with this charge can cause the horizon to again disappear. But because the implied electrostatic energy is also additional mass in relativistic physics, the amount of charge apparently can't become large enough relative to the mass for the naked singularity to emerge.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: How can a black hole be charged?  
> **username_3**: Objects giving off charged particles need not remain neutral. Even Earth actually has chatge separation between the surface and the atmosphere, so if you include only the solid planet it's charged.  
> **username_0**: so can a singularity be charged? Also for a naked singularity would the singularity need to be charged or the accretion disc or giving off enough energy through hawking radiation?  

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