Released in 2019, this is the first image of a black hole and its shadow, taken by an international network of radio telescopes known as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Black holes are cosmic objects so dense that even light cannot escape. Anything that penetrates this boundary, called the “event horizon”, is pulled in by the black hole's incredibly powerful gravity and can never return. This evokes a mystery similar to the dark legends of the Black Lodge.

This image shows the shadow of a supermassive black hole at the center of the elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M87), located about 55 million light-years away. To capture the shadow of this massive black hole, which is 6.5 billion times the mass of the Sun, eight ground-based radio telescopes around the world came together to work as a virtual telescope the size of our planet.

In memory of David Lynch, we will continue to be curious about the unknown and other worlds. We are grateful not for what we have lost, but for what our time together has given us. We will find you again in our dreams.

Image description:

Using the Event Horizon Telescope, scientists obtained this image of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, outlined by emission from hot gas swirling around it under the influence of strong gravity near the event horizon. The hot gas is shaped like a doughnut and glows a warm yellow color with a reddish tint around the edges. The darkness of space is black in the background.

Credit: Event Horizon Telescope collaboration et al.