Space is pretty mysterious. Nevertheless, its greatest mystery might be black holes. We don’t know much about these massive chunks of spacetime where gravity is so strong that no light can escape. Einstein, the guy with the crazy-looking hair, proposed in his theory of general relativity that they form when a sufficiently compact mass begins to deform spacetime. They have two main parts: the event horizon and an external accretion disk, made up of quasars and other objects in the process of being sucked in. However, there is still a lot left to know. Recent advances, like the Event Horizon Telescope, have allowed humans to make fantastic discoveries. Keep reading to find out more!
How to photograph something you can’t see
There’s probably nothing more attractive to astrophysicists than black holes. They are the single greatest mystery of the universe, and discovering their secrets could give humanity the key to understanding everything. The only problem is that we cannot see them.
That’s because not even light can escape its massive gravitational pull. However, not everything it sucks in is instantly absorbed. Black holes are usually surrounded by swirling masses of gas called “accretion disks.” The Event Horizon Telescope has finally allowed experts to photograph it.
