Black hole picture captured for first time in space breakthrough

The Guardian ^ | 10 April 2019

[amorphous]

Astronomers have captured the first image of a black hole, heralding a revolution in our understanding of the universe’s most enigmatic objects.

The picture shows a halo of dust and gas, tracing the outline of a colossal black hole, at the heart of the Messier 87 galaxy, 55m light years from Earth.

[amorphous]

Katie Bouman, now at CalTech, was studying at MIT when she came up with a key algorithm. Photograph: MIT

The Event Horizon Telescope relies on a technique called interferometry. This is a bit like trying to reconstructing a pebble being dropped into a pond by placing detectors around the pond’s edge to measure the ripples sent out. Similarly, with the EHT, the signals from all eight telescopes have to be combined and fed through a computer to turn a mountain of incomprehensible blips into a visual picture.

[Celtic Conservative]

OMG. it’s the eye of sauron!

CC

[thoughtomator]

In other words, if you assume that what you are detecting is the result of a pebble drop, you will come out with evidence that a pebble was dropped.

The science establishment is not exactly burgeoning with credibility at this point.

[BBQToadRibs]

And now we’ve discovered a blazing donut.

[a fool in paradise]

Looks like their film was fogged. Try again.

[RinaseaofDs]

Nice to read about something truly big coming out of MIT for a change.

[NTHockey]

I know that Mark Messier is one of the greatest hockey players ever, but a whole galaxy named after him? Where is the Gretzky galaxy?

[Steely Tom]

Limbaugh just mentioned Don Lemon’s marriage in connection with this story!

[Red Badger]

[rightwingcrazy]

“At the event horizon, light is bent in a perfect loop around the black hole, meaning if you stood there you would be able to see the back of your own head.”

Would that be before or after you got ripped to shreds and squashed into the surface of a pancake?

[Nateman]

I’m not surprised at the outcome. While radio telescopes can have amazing resolution the pictures I’ve seen are usually fuzzy or unfocused looking.

[2banana]

Pretty cool when you think Einstein predicted Black Holes based solely on his theories...

[FreedomGuru]

Great stomach’s think alike :-)

[Leep]

These young people..

[treetopsandroofs]

Hey, it looks just like the artists’ illustrations showed it would!

This article isn’t directly related to politics, so I’m BUYING it!

I probably need the /s.

[gattaca]

It’s Aunt Maxine’s brain.

[golux]

[faithhopecharity]

This article isn’t about Obama?

[DoughtyOne]

They’ve discovered something. God only knows what it actually is at this point. Literally...

[Pravious]

Maxine’s a black a-hole. Close enough.