Astronomers are making a major scientific breakthrough and have released the first images of a black hole.
All previous pictures of the space phenomena have been computer simulations, but now those who watch the sky can get their first look at the real thing, The New York Times reported.
You can watch the live stream here or below.
A black hole is a space object that is so dense that nothing can escape the gravity of the object. Not even light can escape. The existence of black holes were predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. The theory says that gravity warps space and time by matter and energy, trapping anything that comes near it, the Times reported.
The theory, including the idea of an event horizon which helped scientists zero into the black hole images, was confirmed by German physicist Karl Schwarzschild in 1915, The Washington Post reported. Despite his theory being used to confirm the existence of a black holes, Einstein wrote a paper debunking Schwarzschild's findings, the Post reported.
The release of the photos Wednesday of black holes, one called Sagittarius A*, or Sagittarius A-star, and a black hole in Messier 87, confirms Einstein’s theory.
Sagittarius A* is in the center of the Milky Way galaxy, in the middle of interstellar dust and gas. It is the same mass of 4.1 million suns.
Messier 87, or M87, is in a galaxy in Virgo. It has the energy of 5,000 light years emanating from it, according to the Times.
The images were taken in April 2017, Space.com reported. The images were compiled from eight radio observatories on six mountains over four continents, the Times reported.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
