<p>No.</p>
<p>Black holes don't contain matter (in any form which can be freed or stolen).</p>
<p>If the event horizons &quot;brush&quot; then the black holes cannot separate. The event horizon is not a physical structure, but a region of (empty) space.  If an object crosses an event horizon, it can never move away from the black hole, (not because is isn't strong enough, but simply because there are no directions inside a black hole that point out)</p>
<p>As the black holes approach, the event horizon region will grow towards each other.  If the event horizons meet, then they can never separate again as now each black hole will be inside the mutual event horizon, and so can never leave.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-10T17:44:21.423Z
2023-10-11T06:38:03.533Z
2023-10-11T06:38:03.533Z
James K
<p>In a situation where 2 black holes are close to colliding, but do not collide, can one black hole free/steal matter from the other in passing if the event horizons brush?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-11T01:06:15.743Z
Related: https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/3204/123208
PM 2Ring
<black-hole><collision>
Black hole collision
Shaun Eric Ewing
# Black hole collision

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-10-10)

In a situation where 2 black holes are close to colliding, but do not collide, can one black hole free/steal matter from the other in passing if the event horizons brush?

**Tags:** black-hole, collision
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related: https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/3204/123208  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-10-10. Score: 4

No.

Black holes don't contain matter (in any form which can be freed or stolen).

If the event horizons "brush" then the black holes cannot separate. The event horizon is not a physical structure, but a region of (empty) space. If an object crosses an event horizon, it can never move away from the black hole, (not because is isn't strong enough, but simply because there are no directions inside a black hole that point out)

As the black holes approach, the event horizon region will grow towards each other. If the event horizons meet, then they can never separate again as now each black hole will be inside the mutual event horizon, and so can never leave.


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