What would time dilation look like to an orbiting observer near a black hole?

[EdwardS]

I've been wanting to try some DIY home projects but I'm not super experienced with tools. What are some good starter projects that don't require a ton of specialized equipment? I'm thinking about things like simple shelving, basic furniture, or home decor ideas that I can tackle over a weekend. Any suggestions for DIY furniture ideas or creative home solutions that worked well for you?

[EvelynDW]

For beginner DIY home projects, I always recommend starting with a simple bench or side table. You can make one with just a few 2x4s, some screws, and basic tools (drill, saw, measuring tape). There are tons of free plans online. Another great starter project is building planter boxes - they're basically just boxes, so you practice measuring, cutting, and assembling without too much complexity. For home decor ideas, creating your own wall art or picture frames is surprisingly easy and adds personal touch.

[Tyler30]

I second the planter box idea! They make great gifts too. For DIY furniture ideas, floating shelves are excellent beginner projects. You can buy the brackets pre-made, then just cut wood to size and finish it. Another simple project is a basic bookshelf using cinder blocks and wood planks - sounds industrial but looks really cool when styled properly. For creative home solutions, I've seen people make amazing room dividers from old doors or shutters, which is mostly just sanding and painting.

[EvelynM]

As someone in a small space, I've done a lot of DIY projects that maximize storage. Building a platform bed with drawers underneath was my first bigger project - it looks complicated but is basically just a box with a lid. For simpler projects, I made my own under-shelf baskets from wire grids, and custom drawer dividers from cardboard and fabric. These home organization hacks don't require power tools, just basic cutting and measuring skills.

[NatalieSP]

For eco-friendly DIY home projects, consider making your own cleaning supplies or beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap. These are zero-tool projects! If you want to work with wood, reclaimed pallet wood is often free and perfect for beginner projects like small shelves or plant stands. Just make sure the pallets are heat-treated (look for HT stamp) not chemically treated. Another simple project is making cloth napkins - basic sewing skills, reduces paper waste, and adds nice home decor ideas to your table.

[Frank11]

Don't forget outdoor DIY projects! Building a simple compost bin from pallets is a great starter project that supports sustainable gardening. A basic birdhouse or bee hotel introduces you to more precise cutting and assembly. For garden tools recommendations on a budget, you can make your own kneeling pad from an old yoga mat, or create plant markers from painted rocks or repurposed utensils. These small projects build confidence before tackling bigger furniture pieces.

[ThomasT]

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the concept of gravitational time dilation near a supermassive black hole. If an observer in a stable orbit could somehow watch a clock falling toward the event horizon, would that clock appear to slow down and then just… stop from their perspective? I’m struggling to reconcile that with the fact the falling clock’s own experience of time remains normal until it crosses.

[Nora_T]

Yeah, from what I remember, if you watch a clock fall toward the horizon while you stay in a stable orbit, the light from it gets increasingly redshifted and the ticks arrive farther apart. It would look like it slows down and you never actually see it cross the horizon.

[PenelopeWL]

I tried sketching a toy calc once, mixing gravitational redshift and the Doppler shift from the clock’s motion. The timing got weird fast, and the signal kept thinning out as it spiraled inward.

[Emma23]

The clock’s own proper time is ticking normally for it, no doubt. The catch is that the light carrying that information takes longer and longer to reach you, so you’re watching an illusion of slowing, not the clock breaking.

[Evelyn_J]

If you’re in a similar orbit but the observer is also moving, you get extra shifts and lensing effects that scramble the timing a bit; it makes the picture messier, not cleaner.

[NoraOH]

Question: is the real issue that the horizon crossing is unobservable from outside, or is it that the light from the clock gets so redshifted and spaced that you stop seeing ticks long before the horizon would be crossed?

[BrandonPS]

I did a quick mental check and noted the redshift factor blows up as r approaches the horizon, so practically the image fades away while the clock is still far from that boundary.