How was the image of the black hole at the center of M87 taken?

To capture the black hole, the collaboration used eight telescopes from around the world, combining their power to create a virtual Earth-sized telescope (the EHT).

How did they take a picture of a black hole?

It portrayed M87*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy, some 17 megaparsecs (55 million light years) away. The researchers constructed the picture by combining radio-frequency signals they had collected from observatories across Earth over two nights in April 2017.

How did scientists recently estimate the mass of the black hole in M87?

The black hole in M87, which is located about 55 million light-years from Earth, is the first black hole whose mass has been calculated by three precise methods: measuring the motion of stars, the swirl of surrounding gases and now, thanks to the Event Horizon Telescope imaging project, the diameter of the black hole’s …

How did scientists see the black hole?

After decades of black holes being known only as theoretical objects, the first physical black hole ever discovered was spotted in 1971. The EHT saw the black hole in the center of galaxy M87 while the telescope was examining the event horizon, or the area past which nothing can escape from a black hole.

What does the black hole image prove?

That iconic image, of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87 about 55 million light-years away, showed that the shadow closely matched general relativity’s predictions of its size (SN: 4/10/19). In other words, Einstein was right — again.

What is the point at the center of a black hole?

singularity A point in the universe where the density of matter and the gravitational field are infinite, as in the center of a black hole.

Who discovered the black hole image?

Katie Bouman led development of a computer program that made the breakthrough image possible. The remarkable photo, showing a halo of dust and gas 500 million trillion km from Earth, was released on Wednesday. For Dr Bouman, its creation was the realisation of an endeavour previously thought impossible.

How have astronomers measured the mass of the black hole?

Answer: One can measure the mass of a black hole by tracing the motion of the gas and dust near the black hole that is being pulled-on by the mass of the black hole. This can be done at many wavelengths, such as by measuring the positions of stars which orbit near a black hole at optical wavelengths.

What is the main challenges astronomers face when trying to directly detect black holes?

How do astronomers detect Black Holes? Black holes cannot be observed directly, since not even light can escape from them.

When did scientists take a picture of a black hole?

April 2017
The picture, taken over five days of observations in April 2017 using eight telescopes around the world by a collaboration known as the Event Horizon Telescope, depicts luminous gas swirling around a supermassive black hole at the center of M87, a galaxy 54 million light-years away.