Captured by the Event Horizon Telescope, this image shows a halo of dust and gas, tracing the outline of a colossal black hole. PHOTO: EHTCapturing the first image of a black hole is "an amazing discovery'', which a Dunedin astronomer hopes will inspire young Kiwis to pursue careers in science. Producing the image through the use of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) - an international array of eight ground-based radio telescopes - was a big development in international science. The Event Horizon Telescope was designed to capture images of a black hole. The new image was, in itself, not "perhaps the most beautiful in the world'', but showed significant features, such as "accretion disks'' of orbiting material spiralling inward towards the black hole.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 12, 2019 00:56 UTC