If two people attempted to orbit each other around a black hole, their experience would be greatly influenced by the extreme gravitational effects near the black hole. Here's what might happen:
Intense Gravitational Forces: The gravitational pull near a black hole is incredibly strong due to its immense mass. As the two people approached the black hole, they would experience a significant tidal force, with one person being stretched and the other compressed. This difference in gravitational force would lead to a phenomenon known as spaghettification, where the gravitational tidal forces cause objects to be stretched into long, thin shapes resembling spaghetti.
Time Dilation: The immense gravity near a black hole also causes time dilation, which means time would pass more slowly for the individuals closer to the black hole compared to those farther away. This effect would result in a significant time difference between the two individuals, with the person closer to the black hole experiencing time at a much slower rate compared to the other person.
Extreme Distortion of Space: The strong gravitational field of a black hole warps the fabric of spacetime significantly. As a result, the orbit of the two individuals would be distorted and influenced by the curvature of space around the black hole. Their orbit might become highly elliptical, unpredictable, or even unstable.
Accretion Disk and Radiation: If the black hole is actively accreting matter from its surroundings, it may have an accretion disk—a disk of superheated gas and dust swirling around it. The intense friction and heating within the accretion disk would generate intense radiation, including X-rays and gamma rays. This radiation would pose a significant threat to the individuals orbiting the black hole.
In summary, attempting to orbit each other around a black hole would be an extremely dangerous and inhospitable situation due to the extreme gravitational forces, tidal effects, time dilation, and potential exposure to intense radiation. It's important to note that these descriptions are based on our current understanding of black holes and their effects, but the reality near a black hole's event horizon could be even stranger due to the extreme nature of these cosmic objects.