Astronomers have now recorded the famous black hole M87 * for its first photograph in 2019 in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. These three pictures can be found here.
The black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, 55 million light-years away, is probably the most famous of its kind. In April 2019, astronomers presented his portrait as the first photo of the black hole. This global event was recorded on the Horizon Telescope Network. It showed the bright ring of light of the object orbiting the event horizon and the dark shadow of the 6.5 million solar mass black hole in the middle.
Now the astronomers of the event Horizon Collaboration, partners in 32 countries and 19 laboratories, have succeeded in taking the next step: for the first time they have mapped the black hole M87 * and the full range of its jet electromagnetic spectrum consisting of high energy particles and radiation. This is the largest simultaneous surveillance campaign ever carried out for a miracle black hole using jets.
Kasuhiro Hata of Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory said, “We know that the first direct image of a black hole will be striking. But to use this remarkable image, we need to know the behavior of the black hole at that time by making observations across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.”
The first multi-frequency data of such a gravitational giant now provide unprecedented insights into the features and mechanisms surrounding a black hole. “This unique set of data is important for our understanding of the physical conditions near one of the largest black holes in our unique environment,” says Stephanie Comosa of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Gold.
The knowledge gained from these records will help to subject Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity to more precise tests. In addition, astronomers hope to gain more information about the origin and mechanisms of high-energy cosmic radiation, as it may be generated near black holes.
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