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Currently Playing: Exploring the Cosmic Unknown Through Global Collaboration [Boston Museum of Science Lecture]

The international team from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is back to share new insights into their groundbreaking work and highlight the power and importance of scientific collaboration on a global scale. Black holes are cosmic objects so small and dense, that nothing — not even light — can escape their gravitational pull. Until recently, no one had ever seen one. Einstein’s theories predict that a distant observer should see a ring of light encircling the black hole, which forms when radiation emitted by infalling hot gas is lensed by the extreme gravity near the event horizon. The EHT is a global array of radio dishes, linked together by a network of atomic clocks to form an Earth-sized virtual telescope that achieves the highest angular resolution possible from the surface of our planet. On April 10, 2019, the EHT project reported success: these scientists imaged a black hole at the heart of the galaxy Virgo A, and revealed the predicted strong gravitationally lensed ring that confirms the theory of General Relativity at the boundary of a black hole. EHT founding director Shep Doeleman and several EHT team members describe the cutting-edge instrumentation required, how this first image answers some questions and raises more, and the scientific vision and collaborative spirit that held the group together. Please consider making a gift to support #MOSatHome and our SubSpace virtual winter/spring season at https://donate.mos.org/mosathome and become a vital partner in helping us provide access to free STEM experiences online. ---------- The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is an international collaboration that captured the first image of a black hole by creating a virtual Earth-sized telescope. To learn more, you can check out our website at https://eventhorizontelescope.org/​. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ehtelescope​ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ehtelescope/​ Or follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehtelescope/​ ---------- This program was hosted by the Boston Museum of Science. It was free, thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Featured Speakers: Shep Doeleman, Sara Issaoun, Daniel Palumbo, Richard Anantua, and Kari Haworth. Credit: EHT Collaboration.