Where is the first direct image of a black hole's surroundings centered on?
Quick Answer
The Event Horizon Telescopeβs famous black-hole image centered on M87*, the supermassive black hole in the galaxy Messier 87. M87 is in the Virgo Cluster, about 55 million light-years away.
The Full Story
The first image of a black hole, released in 2019, focused on M87*, the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 87. That galaxy lies in the Virgo Cluster, roughly 55 million light-years from Earth. The image was made by the Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of radio observatories working together as one virtual Earth-sized telescope. The result provided direct evidence of the shadow of a black hole and opened a new era in astrophysics.
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