In April 2019, for the first time in history, the image of a black hole. It corresponded to the one found at the center of the galaxy M87 and it was quite a media stir. It is no wonder, since it was a great milestone in the history of science. Later, in 2021, a new, sharper image was taken, which included the lines of the magnetic field from the edge of the black hole. Now, another photograph, taken shortly after the first, demonstrates a movement in the disk of light in the image that confirms existing theories about black holes.
Specifically, they have observed three interesting facts. On the one hand, in the image of the black hole it is seen that the brightest point It has moved about 30 degrees counterclockwise. Now it is found at 5 o’clock. And, on the other hand, they have verified that the size of the ring remains the same as in 2017, when the images published in 2019 were taken.
This is great news, because, on the one hand, it confirms that what was photographed then was indeed a black hole and that it was not a coincidence. And, on the other hand, it is shown that Einstein was right in what general relativity theory concerns black holes. But why has the brightness shifted and what is positive about that?
New milestones in the image of the M87* black hole
The new image of the black hole It has been possible thanks to Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). This is a collaboration that includes radio telescopes around the world, so that the effects of a large Earth-sized telescope can be mimicked. In 2018, two new additions were added to the telescopes that took the 2017 images, one in Greenland and one in Mexicoalthough since then even more have been added.
It is important to remember that a black hole cannot be photographed. What is seen in the image of M87* is the shadow created by the material rotating in its accretion disk. Black holes are objects so massive that nothing can escape their attraction, not even light. Therefore, anything that crosses a specific distance, known as the event horizon, approaches them and falls into them. But before the fall, all that matter, dust and radiation revolves around it, in what is known as accretion disk. A large amount of energy is emitted from it, which can be detected by the radio telescopes. Therefore, what they capture and capture in the photographs is the outline of the black hole, not the black hole as such.
Even so, you can see its size. The first great milestone of this new image of the black hole is that the size has not changed. It was what was expected. Yes, it has made it the brightest point of the album. But this is logical. At least it must be if the hypotheses about the behavior of the magnetic field and plasma around the black hole are true. The oscillation in the brightness of the accretion disk supports that, at least for the moment, it appears that they are.
There are many more in the universe
In 2022, the first image of a black hole of our own galaxy. This same year another was immortalized by launching the characteristic jets of these objects.
Furthermore, thanks to new telescopes, such as the James Webb, although it is not photographed it is being possible to locate very distant black holes. It is true that a few years ago black holes were one of the great mysteries of the universe. However, we know more and more about them and science has more tools to bring many others to light. Although the light cannot escape from them.