Free Online Lecture: Seeing the Unseeable - Capturing an Image of a Black Hole

In summary, the Event Horizon Telescope project made history by capturing an image of the event horizon of a black hole.
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Seeing the Unseeable: Capturing an Image of a Black Hole
A Free Science Lecture
Led by Dr. Sheperd Doeleman, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project made history by capturing an image of the event horizon of a black hole, where gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape. You are invited to hear Dr. Doeleman speak about the results of this accomplishment and the steps it took to get there.
The lecture will be streamed live on https://april.aps.org/program/seeing-the-unseeable-capturing-an-image-of-a-black-hole/ and on Facebook. It is free and open to the public. All are welcome.
Seeing the Unseeable
Black holes are cosmic objects so small and dense that nothing, not even light, can escape their gravitational pull. Until recently, no one had ever seen what a black hole actually looked like. Einstein's theories predicted that a distant observer might see a ring of light encircling the black hole, formed when radiation emitted by infalling hot gas is lensed by the extreme gravity near the event horizon.
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is a global array of radio dishes, linked together by a network of atomic clocks, that form an Earth-sized virtual telescope that can resolve the nearest supermassive black holes where this ring feature may be measured. On April 10, 2019, the EHT project reported success: we have imaged a black hole, and have seen the predicted strong gravitational lensing that confirms the theory of General Relativity at the boundary of a black hole. This talk will cover how this was accomplished, details of the first results, as well as some future directions.

Event Details
When

Saturday, April 18, 2020, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m EDT.
Who Should Attend?
Everyone

About Sheperd Doeleman
Sheperd S. Doeleman is an Astrophysicist at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Founding Director of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a synchronized global array of radio observatories designed to examine the nature of black holes. He is also a Harvard Senior Research Fellow and a project co-leader of Harvard's recently established Black Hole Initiative (BHI). The BHI is a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program at the university that brings together the disciplines of Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy, and History of Science to define and establish black hole science as a new field of study. See full bio.
 
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Time Zone?
GMT?
 
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Tom.G said:
Time Zone?
GMT?

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) . Thanks, I've added that to the OP.
 
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atyy said:
streamed live on this page
One more. What page is "this"?
 
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Tom.G said:
One more. What page is "this"?

Thanks again.
It's https://april.aps.org/program/seeing-the-unseeable-capturing-an-image-of-a-black-hole/
I've also added the link to the OP.
 
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I couldn't watch this live - the video link didn't work. But it's still online at least at the Facebook linked from the aps.org page atty linked above - am watching now.
 

FAQ: Free Online Lecture: Seeing the Unseeable - Capturing an Image of a Black Hole

1. What is the significance of capturing an image of a black hole?

The image of a black hole provides direct evidence for the existence of these mysterious objects, which were previously only theorized. It also allows scientists to test and refine our understanding of gravity and the laws of physics.

2. How was the image of the black hole captured?

The image was captured using a technique called very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI), which combines data from multiple radio telescopes around the world to create a virtual telescope the size of the Earth. This allowed for the resolution and sensitivity needed to capture the faint light from the black hole.

3. What challenges did scientists face in capturing the image of the black hole?

One of the main challenges was the extreme distance of the black hole, which is located in the center of the galaxy M87, about 55 million light-years away from Earth. Another challenge was the need for clear weather conditions at all the participating telescopes, as well as precise timing and synchronization of the data.

4. What can we learn from the image of the black hole?

The image can provide insights into the behavior of matter and light near the event horizon of a black hole, as well as the properties of the black hole itself. It can also help us better understand the formation and evolution of galaxies.

5. Will there be more images of black holes in the future?

Yes, scientists are already planning to capture images of other black holes, including the one at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. As technology and techniques continue to advance, we may be able to capture even more detailed and higher resolution images in the future.

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