For the First Time, Astronomers Capture Image of a Black Hole’s Shadow and a Strong Jet

Astronomers have captured the first image of a black hole’s shadow alongside a powerful jet. The panoramic picture of the black hole and its jet was taken at a new wavelength, revealing more about the physical processes occurring near the black hole. The image shows that the ring that was previously seen is becoming larger and thicker at a 3.5 mm observing wavelength, indicating that the material falling into the black hole produces additional emission that is now observed in the new image. The diameter of the ring measured by the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA) is 64 microarcseconds, which corresponds to the size of a small (5-inch/13-cm) selfie ring light as seen by an astronaut on the Moon looking back at Earth. The light from M87 is produced by the interplay between highly energetic electrons and magnetic fields, a phenomenon called synchrotron radiation. The new observations, at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, reveal more details about the location and energy of these electrons. They also tell us something about the nature of the black hole itself: it is not very hungry. It consumes matter at a low rate, converting only a small fraction of it into radiation. The quest to learn more about Messier 87 is not over, as further observations and a fleet of powerful telescopes continue to unlock its secrets.