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X-rays
One of the most common methods of detecting black holes is measuring X-rays produced by objects falling into these massive gravity wells. As materials fall into a black hole it heats up to very high temperatures and begins emitting powerful radiation. With space-based telescopes, this radiation is detectable as X-rays.
Neighboring Objects
Due to the massive gravity well produced by black holes, nearby objects are affected by the pull of its immense gravity. Due to this gravity, objects close enough to a black hole speed up their motion through space. Black holes can be detected when objects, such as stars, are noticed to be moving much faster than they would be in the absence of a black hole. Space-based telescopes are excellent for detecting such objects.
Gamma Ray Bursts
Gamma rays are very energetic bursts of radiation. It is currently believed that these ultra powerful releases of gamma ray bursts are byproducts of black holes. Many scientists believe that some binary star systems are composed of a normal star partnered with a black hole. The black hole works to accumulate all of the material from its companion star. Eventually, all that remains of the normal star is a dense ring that is sucked into the black hole within a matter of seconds. This quick process creates a huge release of gamma rays detectable from Earth.
Future Detectors
According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, which also predicts black holes, very dense objects cause a high degree of warping in the fabric of space. As the shape of these dense objects changes, distortions in this warping are detectable as ripple-like disturbances in space. When a black hole consumes another very dense object like a neutron star, or comes very close to another black hole, these space ripples are produced. Through the use of future gravity wave detectors, this ripple effect is expected to be measured.