The stunning image was obtained thanks to the international Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) initiative that brought together a total of eight telescopes in the world.
Astronomers who obtained the first image of a black hole were able to capture light from its magnetic fields, an important step in better understanding the dynamics of these cosmic phenomena, according to a study published Wednesday.
On April 10, 2019, the image went around the world: it was a dark circle in the middle of a glowing disk, corresponding to a supermassive black hole located in the center of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87), located 55 million light-years from Earth.
Obtained thanks to the international initiative Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) which brought together a total of eight telescopes in the world, the image was the most direct proof of the existence of these massive and compact phenomena that absorb everything, including light. .
Two years later, EHT scientists know more about the mechanics of this black hole, the mass of which is several billion times greater than that of the Sun.
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Illustrative and non-commercial image / https://twitter.com/almaobs/status/1374728492697452544
In an article published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, they released a new image of the object under polarized light – as through a filter – and that allows for a “better understanding of the physics behind the April 2019 image.” , underlined the Spanish Iván Martí-Vidal, coordinator of the groups of work of the EHT and researcher of the University of Valencia.
“Let’s look at the reality of what the theoretical models predicted, it’s incredibly satisfying!” the EHT network.
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The polarization evidenced the structure of the magnetic field located at the edges of the black hole and allowed to produce an accurate image of its shape, resembling a swirl of filaments.
This extremely powerful magnetic field opposes a resistance to the gravitational force of the black hole: “There is a kind of balance between the two forces, as if it were a fight, although in the end gravity gains,” he explained. Gueth to AFP.
“The magnetic field at the edge of the black hole is strong enough to push back the hot gas and help it resist the force of gravity,” said Jason Dexter of the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA. ).
There is still no matter capable of coming out of the black hole once it has been swallowed, the cosmic object does not swallow “100% of everything in its environment: a part escapes it,” according to Gueth .
The magnetic force would not only extract matter, but also expel immense speeds very powerful beams, capable of traveling thousands of light years.
These energy beams come from the core of M87 and are one of the “most mysterious phenomena in this galaxy,” according to the Southern European Observatory (ESO).
The interaction of forces revealed by the EHT would also exist in all black holes, from the smallest to the supermassive, present in most galaxies, including the Milky Way.
Since no “information” comes out of black holes, science will never be able to observe them directly. “What happens inside will remain a mystery. The key is in understanding what is going on around you, because it is necessarily related,” Gheth concludes.
The annual simultaneous observation session of the EHT network, canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, will resume at the end of April. The incorporation of new telescopes, including the NOEMA observatory in France, will improve the accuracy of the images obtained.