The first black hole image: what can we really see?

Last week scientists produced the first image of a black hole, shining a light on one of the universe ’s great mysteriesThis week, scientists produced the firstreal image of a black hole, in a galaxy called Messier 87. The image is not a photograph but an image created by theEvent Horizon Telescope (EHT) project. Using a network of eight ground-based telescopes across the world, the EHT collected data to produce the image. The black hole itself is unseeable, as it ’s impossible for light to escape from it; what we can see is its event horizon. The EHT was also observing a black hole located at the centre of the Milky Way, but was unable to produce an image. While Messier 87 is further away, it was easier to observe, due to its larger size.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 14, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Brenna Cooper Tags: Black holes Physics Science Source Type: news