Astronomers Capture First Direct Images of a Black Hole, 55 Million Light Years From Earth

An international team of astronomers has captured what's believed to be the first direct images of a black hole. Published in a special issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters, the images represent a 'supermassive' black hole that lies within Messier 87 (M87), a galaxy within the Virgo galaxy cluster, 55 million light years from Earth.

According to the MIT, the researchers were able to take the images "by coordinating the power of eight major radio observatories on four continents, to work together as a virtual, Earth-sized telescope"

Shot using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) that was specifically engineered to capture images of black holes, the images show " a central dark region surrounded by a ring of light that appears lopsided — brighter on one side than the other", said the report.

Image Courtesy: European Southern Observatory