In 2019, NASA captured the first-ever spectacular image of a Black Hole at the center of the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy. This was a huge milestone for science as it was nearly impossible to capture Black Holes because they suck all the light that falls upon them.
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| Black Hole at the center of galaxy M87 captured by Event Horizon Telescope. Image Credit: NASA |
The real question is, is this really a final image of a Black Hole? Can there be a clearer and brighter image of the same black hole or even another? Let's find out!
First of all, what is a Black Hole?
See also: White Holes
Black Hole:
A black hole is a region in space, typically when a very massive star dies, it forms a region so dense that even light cannot escape from it. Its outside boundary is called the "event horizon" from where nothing can escape. Black Holes were predicted only theoretically by John Michell in 1783 and the first-ever black hole, Cygnus X-1, was discovered in 1971 but was not seen and captured. The reason why we were not able to capture black holes is that a camera needs light to capture images while a black hole does not provide any light.
How Do We Know That Black Holes Exist If We Cannot See Them?
The answer is we feel the influence of a black hole on neighboring planets and stars. The orbiting stars at the center of every galaxy often render from their path and give the proof of a massive, some kind of dense object. Nearly every galaxy has a black hole in the center of it.
The First-Ever Image of a Black Hole:
The first-ever true image of a black hole was captured in 2019 by a team of scientists, engineers, researchers, etc. This was a huge turning point in history.
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| M87 Galaxy Captured by Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Image Credit: NASA |
The above image zoomed in even more, which was not an as easy task as it may seem. Katie Bouman, a member of the working team at Event Horizon Telescope said, "What we are trying to image is really, really small on the sky. It's about the same size as if you were trying to take a picture of an orange on the moon."
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| Katie Bouman when the first picture of a black hole was revealed on her computer. |
Interstellar's Black Hole:
Even before this discovery, in 2014, in the movie "Interstellar", a black hole was shown that was not designed randomly but with perfect and precise calculations and equations, developed by physicist Kip Thorne. It was the most accurate image till then. The Black Hole's name was "Gargantua". |
| Gargantua in the movie Interstellar (2014) Image Credit: CBC |
Before this beautiful, finalized image was developed, a rough draft was also created.
Interstellar's black hole was not quite different than the real one captured. Let's take a look at this video of Kip Thorne showing his illustration of a black hole from a different angle:
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| Gargantua's first depiction. Image Credit: Engadget |
Interstellar's black hole was not quite different than the real one captured. Let's take a look at this video of Kip Thorne showing his illustration of a black hole from a different angle:
And now, the real question stands still. Was this image of a black hole that was revealed in 2019 really the final one? The answer is definitely no!
Though we do not know if scientists and physicists are working to capture another image of a black hole one cannot expect science and technology to stop at a point. There is always some more room for goodness and perfection. Who knows, maybe in near future, scientists will be successful to capture an even clearer and brighter image of a black hole. It's just a matter of time!
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