NPR

Are We About To See A Black Hole?

A project called the Event Horizon Telescope is analyzing data taken earlier this year using interferometry — and we may be remarkably close to "seeing" a black hole, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
A jet emanating from galaxy M87 can be seen in this July 6, 2000, photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

If there is one thing science is good for, it's going to extremes.

A lot of science's history is just one story after another of people figuring out how to do something that, just a few years before, was thought to be impossible.

The impossible was heavy on my mind last Wednesday as I found out just how close we were to seeing — as in taking actual pictures — of black holes.

is a computational astrophysicist. Like me, he uses supercomputers to simulate the (or EHT) has gotten in the project of seeing black holes.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Justice Thomas Decries 'Nastiness' And 'Lies' Against Him
The Supreme Court justice told attendees at a judicial conference that he and his wife have faced "nastiness" and "lies" over the last several years and decried Washington as a "hideous place."
NPR4 min read
Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill, Sending Legislation To The House
The Senate passed a bill designed to improve safety and customer service for air travelers, a day before the law governing the Federal Aviation Administration expires.
NPR5 min read
Why Writing By Hand Beats Typing For Thinking And Learning
Researchers are learning that handwriting engages the brain in ways typing can't match, raising questions about the costs of ditching this age-old practice, especially for kids.

Related Books & Audiobooks