Dr José Luis Gómez, investigator at the High Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) in Spain and based at the Andalucía Astrophysics Institute (IAA) says: "I wish Einstein had been alive to see this." And not only Einstein, but the legendary Stephen Hawking, the Brit who brought space science to the ordinary person on the street, Prince of Asturias Award winner and presenter of numerous astrophysics fairs and conferences in Spain. "This image will be the one that appears in the textbooks," Dr Gómez, who developed one of the three algorithms used in the reconstruction, explains. "It's like breaking through glass. For the first time, we have this photo in our hands, and now we know that we can actually study these objects. "We're confident that this finding will open the door to a better understanding of how black holes function." Dr Iván Martí-Vidal, from Spain's National Geographical Institute (IGN), designed the algorithms that allowed the global team to … [Read more...] about The black hole of Andalucía: History seen through a Spanish telescope
Inside a black hole
First-ever black hole photo ‘proves we’re racing towards apocalypse’, doomsday preacher warns
THE WORLD'S first photo of a black hole is proof humanity is heading for its demise, according to one bonkers conspiracy theorist. Evangelical Pastor Paul Begley, from Indiana, USA, claims the timing of this week's image is no coincidence, and signals the end of humanity at the hand of our maker. The preacher made the nutty claims in a 95-minute tirade posted to his YouTube channel. Commenting on this week's groundbreaking image, which was released by scientists on Wednesday, he said the physics of black hole singularities are linked to the end times. Begley said: "Do you understand that space and time are equivalent? "Well, let’s do a little Paul Begley physics. I’m not a physicist but space and time are equivalent. "So if space tightens, time speeds up – oh no, don’t you go there with me." Begley says that humanity is always on a path toward "God's ultimate conclusion". If the black hole is a sign that time is speeding up, as he claims, that means its presence … [Read more...] about First-ever black hole photo ‘proves we’re racing towards apocalypse’, doomsday preacher warns
From X-Men to Brexit: How did Twitter react to the first image of a black hole?
From X-Men to Brexit: How did Twitter react to the first image of a black hole? BelfastTelegraph.co.uk The first ever picture of a black hole predictably prompted hilarity on social media. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/viral/from-xmen-to-brexit-how-did-twitter-react-to-the-first-image-of-a-black-hole-38003265.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/viral/article38003254.ece/0d358/AUTOCROP/h342/bpanews_4fd97a8a-4a15-4461-9615-d893b11745dd_1 Email The first ever picture of a black hole predictably prompted hilarity on social media. The image – obtained by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration – was captured using eight radio dishes around the world combined into one global telescope, and the result was this: Social media was fascinated by the image, but that didn’t stop many sharing some of their favourite jokes about the scientific breakthrough. Some couldn’t help but see the Eye of Sauron, thanks to the glowing effect created by … [Read more...] about From X-Men to Brexit: How did Twitter react to the first image of a black hole?
What is a black hole? Searching for what can’t be seen
Massive, ravenous, powerful beyond measure -– physicists are convinced that black holes exist, even if no one has directly observed one. But that's about to change. On Wednesday, scientists in six cities on three continents are poised to simultaneously unveil the first picture of these enigmatic giants, pieced together from data collected by a global network of radio telescopes. A black hole is a celestial object that compresses a huge mass into an extremely small space. If the same were to happen to Earth, our planet would fit inside a thimble or a water bottle cap. The Sun would only be six kilometres (a few miles) in diameter, Guy Perrin, an astronomer at the Paris-LSL Observatory, told AFP. According to the laws of general relativity, published a century ago by Albert Einstein, the gravitational pull of these omnivorous monsters is so strong that no object can escape if it comes too close. That includes stars and the electromagnetic waves -- no matter how long or short -- … [Read more...] about What is a black hole? Searching for what can’t be seen
Scientists set to unveil first picture of a black hole
The world, it seems, is soon to see the first picture of a black hole. On Wednesday, astronomers across the globe will hold "six major press conferences" simultaneously to announce the first results of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), which was designed precisely for that purpose. It has been a long wait. Of all the forces or objects in the Universe that we cannot see -- including dark energy and dark matter -- none has frustrated human curiosity so much as the invisible maws that shred and swallow stars like so many specks of dust. Astronomers began speculating about these omnivorous "dark stars" in the 1700s, and since then indirect evidence has slowly accumulated. "More than 50 years ago, scientists saw that there was something very bright at the centre of our galaxy," Paul McNamara, an astrophysicist at the European Space Agency and an expert on black holes, told AFP. "It has a gravitational pull strong enough to make stars orbit around it very quickly -- as fast as 20 years." … [Read more...] about Scientists set to unveil first picture of a black hole