4. The First Image of a Black Hole
Year Found: 2019
Who Found It: NASA
Location: M87
A direct image of a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy has been captured by telescopes all over the world, marking the first time that astronomers have ever been successful in imaging a black hole. Or perhaps a black hole’s “shadow.”.
The First Image of a Black Hole ©2DAssets/Shutterstock
Although a black hole doesn’t emit any light, its powerful gravitational pull causes the light from nearby gas clouds to get bent and deflected. The image has not been captured directly using visible light. A ray of light may occasionally almost entirely circle a black hole before it manages to escape, and then it travels in the direction of Earth. As a result, a dark, semi-shaded object is encircled by a ring of light.
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