In astrophysics milestone, first photo of black hole expected

How neat is this? Will it look very much like how we've imagined it? What will be the next major cosmological discovery?

 

Should be interesting

 

Here it is:

 

That's quite an accomplishment.

The computational part of this problem is intense - involving an 800 CPU grid computer to develop a picture from the interference patterns between numerous radio telescopes spread across the planet.

I wonder what else can be seen using this technique.

 

Here 'ya go fellas.

 

Here's more:

 

Pretty cool.

"Adding more telescopes could allow the team to extend the image, to better capture the jets that spew from the black hole. The researchers also plan to make observations using light of slightly higher frequency, which can further sharpen the image." https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope

 

You want a whole lot of glass when taking that photo, no close ups.

 

Can't they coordinate observations from different sides of the Earth's orbit, to create a telescope of truly astronomical proportions? I know they've done that to determine a star's parallax for a long time, but it might not work for any other purpose because the objects change over time and the observations are necessarily half a year apart.

 

Black Hole: "Oh, those horrible Earth papparazi, those interferometric idiots, getting right up close, less than 100 million light years away, what's an iconic phenomena to do anyway?"

 

What the **** does splitting the atom have to do with so-called 'black holes' fifty million trillion miles away in a far-off galaxy?

 

Both were predicted by Einstein's theories of relativity

 

Any Battlestar Galactica fans here? There is good scene of a Cylon talking about the limitations of the humans senses for observation:

"In all your travels, have you ever seen a star go supernova? ... Well, I have. I saw a star explode and send out the building blocks of the Universe. Other stars, other planets and eventually other life. A supernova! Creation itself! I was there. I wanted to see it and be part of the moment. And you know how I perceived one of the most glorious events in the universe? With these ridiculous gelatinous orbs in my skull! With eyes designed to perceive only a tiny fraction of the EM spectrum. With ears designed only to hear vibrations in the air. ... I don't want to be human! I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to - I want to smell dark matter! Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can't even express these things properly because I have to - I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid limiting spoken language! But I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws! And feel the wind of a supernova flowing over me! I'm a machine! And I can know much more! I can experience so much more! But I'm trapped in this absurd body! And why? Because my five creators thought that God wanted it that way!"

Seeing a black hole is probably the worst way to observe it.

 

Thus do we build the machines that allow us to see...to hear and experience with our terribly limited senses. We adapt as needed, which is our strength and future.

Humanity is very limited, but we know it and strive for more.

 

Its called "very long based interferometry" or VLBI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very-long-baseline_interferometry

It was the technique used.

 

Here's more:

 

Do me a favor.....tonight if it is clear, look up at the night sky and pick a star....any star. Once you have done so think about the sunshine earlier in the day and simply try to imagine how far away the sun would need to be to look like your star. Now, realize our star (the sun) is over 90 million miles away to begin with.

 

Looks like a fuzzy donut. But is it a real photo or CGI? Or an interpretation of what radio telescopes detect? I cannot imagine an optical telescope being able to see a black hole at that distance.

 

It is the combined result of multiple telescopic observation by computer forming what would be the optical equivalent so, I guess it is indeed computer generated.

 

Well if a black hole ever moves near or into our solar system we can get plenty of photos for distant objects we use the best tools we can its still a great achievement but someday our species might get to study them close enough to film and drop instruments into them and do proper tests.

 

It's unfortunate politics had to be injected into this:

 

It does not have to be...let us just appreciate what she did.

She's cute as a button too.

 

I have a question

Were there to be an earth-like planet orbiting in the "Goldilocks Zone" of this thing. (if that is even possible) what would life there be like?

 

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