Black holes are some of the most exotic objects in the universe. They come about when matter gravitationally collapses in on itself, when the atomic forces that normally hold, let’s say, a rock into its shape are overcome by gravity and everything becomes pulverized and crushed down into a single point.
Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicted the existence of black holes in 1916, and to date, they’re the best explanation we have for many phenomena in our universe, says Shep Doelman of the ALMA observatory said.
But how do you see something that is unseeable? It is by using a technique called very long baseline interferometry, or VLBI.
VLBI works in the same way that ALMA’s 66 antennas combine to make one telescope, only on a much larger scale, Simon said. The antennas are spread out across a wide area. As radiation from space hits the antennas, the correlator at ALMA puts the jigsaw of information together to make a complete image.
The Event Horizon Telescope connects observatories around the world — from Chile, to Mexico, Hawaii, California, and Spain and all the way to the South Pole. Every telescope needs to uses the same atomic clock to keep the data in synchronisation.
Together, they will act as a single telescope, looking towards Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. There is a cloud of space dust, simply called G2, is circling the black hole. If it falls in, there will be a flare up on the edge of the black hole. The black hole will cast a shadow against that flare.
“Einstein’s equations tell you exactly what the size and shape of that shadow should be, so if we could image a shadow we’d be able to test Einstein’s theories in the one place where they might really break down — at the edge of a black hole,” Doeleman said.
Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicted the existence of black holes in 1916, and to date, they’re the best explanation we have for many phenomena in our universe, says Shep Doelman of the ALMA observatory said.
But how do you see something that is unseeable? It is by using a technique called very long baseline interferometry, or VLBI.
VLBI works in the same way that ALMA’s 66 antennas combine to make one telescope, only on a much larger scale, Simon said. The antennas are spread out across a wide area. As radiation from space hits the antennas, the correlator at ALMA puts the jigsaw of information together to make a complete image.
The Event Horizon Telescope connects observatories around the world — from Chile, to Mexico, Hawaii, California, and Spain and all the way to the South Pole. Every telescope needs to uses the same atomic clock to keep the data in synchronisation.
Together, they will act as a single telescope, looking towards Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. There is a cloud of space dust, simply called G2, is circling the black hole. If it falls in, there will be a flare up on the edge of the black hole. The black hole will cast a shadow against that flare.
“Einstein’s equations tell you exactly what the size and shape of that shadow should be, so if we could image a shadow we’d be able to test Einstein’s theories in the one place where they might really break down — at the edge of a black hole,” Doeleman said.