I. Introduction
A journey to space is a journey expediting the unknown. A road that no one knows what to expect or what is about to happen. I was really fascinated by one of the most debated as well one of the least known phenomena called black hole. Black hole is place in space where gravity is so unreal that it bends the space-time fabric so substantially that not even light can get out of it, interesting right. Although it was mentioned by Einstein in his Special Theory of Relativity, but only a few numbers of experiments were carried. Over the period the theories regarding Black hole from Special Theory of Relativity started to be researched and were proved correct. Later an international collaboration project was launched in 2009 known as Event Horizon Telescope (ETH) project. An effort between astronomers around the globe to capture first-ever direct image of a black hole1. A normal person would think why spend so much just to capture one image, but the image will reveal the secrets of black hole that can’t be observed or researched by a normal instrument (like how far it is from us, what is the temperature nearby event horizon, and much more).This would open a new window of opportunity to know more about black holes around the universe. Let’s dive right in and learn more about this mind-boggling instrument further in this report.
II. Objectives
The objectives of the Event Horizon Telescope are organized to continue long-term progress in better imaging black holes so that they can be better studied by scientists. First, to provide a strong proof of Einstein’s theory of relativity, by obtaining the first direct visual evidence of the formation of a black hole inside a black hole on the snow. Direct formation of a black hole was long considered unlikely. However, the EHT project managed to achieve this goal in April 2019 by capturing images of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M872. This phenomenon strongly proved Einstein’s theory of general relativity in the extreme environment of the black hole2. Second, EHT studies of black holes in the center of M87 have provided important insights into black hole physics and material behavior in their complex environments. For example, the discovery revealed that the black hole’s accretion disk is rotating at the same rate as the black hole itself, which was previously unknown. This information can help researchers better understand how black holes grow and evolve over time2 Furthermore, to investigate the relationship between black holes and their host galaxies and the role of black holes in galaxy formation and in their evolution. Lastly to develop new technologies and techniques for radio astronomy and interferometry. The project also required a new system to process data from multiple telescopes. These technological advances have important implications for the future of radio astronomy, interferometry, and space exploration2. This breakthrough represents a breakthrough in our understanding of these mysterious and elusive phenomena and has the potential to revolutionize astronomy. In addition, the main objectives of the Event Horizon 2Telescope are to observe and map the event horizon of a black hole, test the predictions of general relativity in the strong gravity regime, study the physics it contains the material of the accretion disk and jets around black holes, and the role of black holes in the formation and evolution of galaxies is investigated.
III. Construction
EHT is not a single telescope but a network of telescopes spanning the globe, from Hawaii to the South Pole, and from Spain to Chile. By combining the data from all these telescopes, scientists can create a telescope that appears to be the same size as the telescope at the two mirrors farthest from each other between. This method is called very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). it links signals from radio dishes around the world to simulate the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy and uses SgrA(central Milky Way ) and M (central Virgio Cluster) .The fact that it is that interesting that if we wanted to capture an image of SgrA we would need to create a mirror just the size of our earth to capture the image , we do so by placing 8 radio dishes in different locations around the world.1,2EHT uses a technique called very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) to integrate signals from telescopes and create an image of the black hole. To capture an image of a black hole, the EHT team had to overcome several challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the size of the black hole, which is more than 22 million kilometers in diameter. To map the black hole, the E HT team had to use a technique called massive Earth interferometry, among other things and signals are combined from telescopes, the sides of the Earth are parallel. This technique required remote and precise timing, as well as sophisticated methods of processing and analyzing data. The EHT project began in 2006 and involved more than 200 scientists and engineers from around the world. The project required significant funding, estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars in total. The EHT contains a variety of scientific instruments, including a radio receiver and an atomic clock for measuring the precise timing of signals received by the telescope.
IV. Breakthroughs
The EHT project achieved its primary objective in 2019, when the first-ever direct image of a black hole was released to the public. The image, which was captured using data from the telescopes in the EHT network, showed the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M871. The image confirmed many predictions of the theory of general relativity, including the existence of an event horizon, the boundary beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape the gravitational pull of the black hole. The EHT project also revealed several other breakthroughs in our understanding of black holes. For example, the project provided new insights into the nature of the jets of material that are often seen emanating from black holes. The project also revealed the presence of a bright ring of light surrounding the black hole, which is thought to be caused by the intense gravitational forces around the event horizon. In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) made a groundbreaking announcement that it had successfully captured the first-ever image of a black hole3. This was a breakthrough in astrophysics and marked a significant achievement in human understanding of the universe. The EHT is not a single telescope, but rather a global network of telescopes that work together to create an Earth-sized virtual telescope4. The telescopes are in various locations around the world, including Chile, Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, Spain, and the South Pole. By coordinating observations from all these telescopes, the EHT can observe the same object at the same time, effectively creating a giant virtual telescope with an aperture the size of the Earth4. The EHT’s target was the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87, which is located about 55 million light-years away from Earth. The black hole has a mass of about 6.5 billion times that of our Sun, and its event horizon – the point of no return beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape – is about 40 billion kilometers in diameter. The EHT observed the black hole for several days in April 2017, using a technique called very long baseline interferometry (VLBI)2,3. This technique involves combining the signals from multiple telescopes to create a high-resolution image. The data collected by the telescopes was then transported to supercomputers in the US and Germany, where it was processed and analyzed. After two years of careful analysis, the EHT team finally released the first image of a black hole on April 10, 2019. The image showed a bright ring of light surrounding a dark center – the shadow of the black hole’s event horizon. The image confirmed some of the predictions of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity and provided new insights into the behavior of black holes4. The breakthrough was a result of decades of technological and theoretical developments in astrophysics, as well as the collaboration of over 200 scientists and engineers from around the world. It opened new avenues of research into the nature of black holes and provided a stunning example of the power of international scientific cooperation.
V. Conclusion
The Event Horizon Telescope project has changed our understanding of black holes, allowing us to see some of the mysterious and elusive phenomena. The progress of the work has expanded our knowledge of the universe and opened new opportunities for astronomers to explore the unknown depths of space. With the success of the EHT, we are one step closer to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
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