Scientists are on the cusp of capturing stunning footage of a supermassive black hole in action for the first time, thanks to a groundbreaking imaging project called "movie" campaign. This ambitious endeavor aims to reveal a more nuanced understanding of these mysterious objects, which have long been shrouded in mystery and misconception.
Using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of 12 radio telescopes spanning across the globe, scientists will track the colossal black hole at the heart of the Messier 87 galaxy. This behemoth has a mass equivalent to six billion suns and spans an area similar to our solar system, making it one of the most massive objects in the universe.
As the Earth rotates, different telescopes will come into view M87's central black hole, allowing a complete image to be captured every three days. The scale of this project is unprecedented, with scientists hoping to stitch together these snapshots to create a moving sequence that showcases the black hole's dynamics in motion.
By capturing footage of the swirling disc around the event horizon, scientists hope to gain valuable insights into the black hole's spin speed and behavior. This could help distinguish between competing theories on how supermassive black holes formed and evolved over time. The EHT campaign may also shed light on the formation of powerful jets that shoot out of galaxies, influencing the growth of new stars and limiting galaxy development.
While this project is still in its early stages, scientists like Sera Markoff, a newly appointed Plumian professor at the University of Cambridge, are optimistic about the potential discoveries. Markoff believes that capturing footage of black holes could revolutionize our understanding of these enigmatic objects, which have long been misunderstood as "evil vacuum cleaners" sucking everything into their void.
As part of her new role, Markoff aims to use the Plumian professorship to encourage more people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in science. Her personal journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and determination, having transitioned from an interest in art to a career in astrophysics through reading science fiction and comic books.
The wait for this groundbreaking footage will be worth it, as scientists eagerly anticipate gaining a deeper understanding of these cosmic phenomena that continue to captivate human imagination.
Using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of 12 radio telescopes spanning across the globe, scientists will track the colossal black hole at the heart of the Messier 87 galaxy. This behemoth has a mass equivalent to six billion suns and spans an area similar to our solar system, making it one of the most massive objects in the universe.
As the Earth rotates, different telescopes will come into view M87's central black hole, allowing a complete image to be captured every three days. The scale of this project is unprecedented, with scientists hoping to stitch together these snapshots to create a moving sequence that showcases the black hole's dynamics in motion.
By capturing footage of the swirling disc around the event horizon, scientists hope to gain valuable insights into the black hole's spin speed and behavior. This could help distinguish between competing theories on how supermassive black holes formed and evolved over time. The EHT campaign may also shed light on the formation of powerful jets that shoot out of galaxies, influencing the growth of new stars and limiting galaxy development.
While this project is still in its early stages, scientists like Sera Markoff, a newly appointed Plumian professor at the University of Cambridge, are optimistic about the potential discoveries. Markoff believes that capturing footage of black holes could revolutionize our understanding of these enigmatic objects, which have long been misunderstood as "evil vacuum cleaners" sucking everything into their void.
As part of her new role, Markoff aims to use the Plumian professorship to encourage more people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in science. Her personal journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and determination, having transitioned from an interest in art to a career in astrophysics through reading science fiction and comic books.
The wait for this groundbreaking footage will be worth it, as scientists eagerly anticipate gaining a deeper understanding of these cosmic phenomena that continue to captivate human imagination.
can you even imagine what we'll learn from this??! The thought of getting an actual movie of a supermassive black hole in action is mind-blowing 
it's like something out of a sci-fi movie, but real life! I'm so hyped for the scientists working on this project and especially for Sera Markoff, she's an inspiration 
to everyone who wants to make a change in STEM fields. It's awesome that she's using her platform to encourage more people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in science 
can't wait to see what we'll discover!
Newsflash: they're just massive objects in space! Like, what even is the point of that misconception? We've got scientists pouring their hearts and souls into capturing footage of M87's central black hole for the first time ever, and all anyone cares about is how cool it'll be to see a "movie" of this event horizon in action 
Can we PLEASE just appreciate the complexity and mystery surrounding these cosmic phenomena without reducing them to some spooky myth? 
the fact that they're gonna capture footage of a supermassive black hole is just mind-blowing! 
it's like something out of a sci-fi movie 
but for real, this could be a game-changer in our understanding of the universe. 
I mean, we've always thought of black holes as these mysterious voids that suck everything in, but now we might actually get to see what they're all about. 
and think about how cool it'll be when they stitch together those daily snapshots into a moving sequence! 
Sera Markoff sounds like an amazing person too, promoting diversity in STEM is super important 
just thinking about those supermassive black holes gotta blow my mind every time, i mean six billion suns in one place? that's some crazy scale. and now they're trying to capture footage of it like a movie? it's gonna be lit when we get to see this thing move in 3D 
. I mean, can you even imagine being near something that huge? The fact that they're trying to capture footage of the swirling disc around the event horizon is gonna be wild 
. Can't wait to see what these scientists come up with! 
. And the fact that we're getting this footage thanks to a global project with 12 radio telescopes is just amazing 
. It's cool to think about Sera Markoff's story too, she's like a total rockstar in my book 
! The possibilities of what we can learn from this footage are endless and I'm excited to see the discoveries that come out of it 
! I'm totally hyped for this project, and it's awesome that they're using the EHT network to make it happen. It's gonna be so cool to see the black hole's dynamics in motion 
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. hopefully they can get some answers on how supermassive black holes formed and evolved over time. I'm hyped for the wait to see what this project comes up with 
Just saw the news about those supermassive black holes and I'm getting all anxious 