Everyone has been talking about the first-ever image of a black hole, and it’s truly incredible! But you might be wondering, where exactly is this black hole located? If you look up at the sky between the Virgo and Leo constellations, you’ll find it just above the horizon during spring in the northern hemisphere and in autumn and winter in the southern hemisphere.
Let’s take a closer look at this black hole, which is an astonishing 53.5 million light-years away in the Virgo cluster. The image we have is of a tiny section of the sky, but in reality, this area is immensely large. Imagine placing our entire solar system inside this black hole—it would be dwarfed by its massive size! This black hole has a mass 6.5 billion times that of our Sun.
Even though the image might seem blurry, it actually has a resolution 2,000 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope. How did we capture such an amazing image? Scientists combined radio dishes from around the world to create a virtual telescope as large as Earth itself. This engineering feat is why everyone is so excited about this discovery.
The dark patch in the image shows us light being absorbed by the black hole for the first time. It’s fascinating because we still don’t fully understand what happens to light when it falls into a black hole. Without a theory of quantum gravity, we consider this light lost forever.
To better understand where the M87 supermassive black hole is, imagine looking just above the ecliptic plane from Earth. Beyond our solar system, past the nearest stars, and out of the Milky Way, you’ll find it in the Virgo cluster.
These images are amazing! Just for fun, think about this: larger than the Virgo cluster is the local supercluster, and beyond that lies the observable universe. And beyond the observable universe? The infinite universe stretches on. Space is incredibly vast!
Using a star chart or an online tool, locate the Virgo and Leo constellations. Draw a map of the night sky showing these constellations and mark the approximate location of the black hole. This will help you visualize where the black hole is in relation to Earth.
Build a scale model to represent the size of the black hole compared to our solar system. Use different materials to show the relative sizes and distances. This activity will give you a better understanding of the immense scale of the black hole.
Participate in a virtual simulation that demonstrates how scientists combined radio dishes to create a virtual telescope. This will help you understand the technology and collaboration involved in capturing the black hole image.
Conduct a simple experiment using a flashlight and a black piece of paper to simulate how light behaves near a black hole. This will help you explore the concept of light absorption and the mystery of the dark patch in the image.
Create a timeline that outlines major discoveries in space exploration, including the capture of the black hole image. This will help you appreciate the advancements in technology and our growing understanding of the universe.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Quite rightfully, everyone has been discussing the first image of a black hole that we’ve ever taken—it’s absolutely amazing! But I’ve been wondering, where is it located? Here it is: if you look into the sky between the Virgo and Leo constellations, it’s just above the horizon in spring in the northern hemisphere and in autumn and winter in the southern hemisphere.
Here is a collection of real astronomical photos stitched together of the sky. We’ll zoom into the black hole, which is 53.5 million light-years away in the Virgo cluster. This image represents a tiny section of the sky, but in real terms, it is absolutely vast.
Here’s what the solar system would look like if we placed it inside this black hole. The mass of this black hole is a colossal 6.5 billion times the mass of the Sun. Despite the blurry image, it actually has a resolution 2,000 times higher than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. Capturing this image was only possible because we created a network of radio dishes that combined to form a virtual telescope the size of the entire Earth. The engineering achievement to obtain this image is truly remarkable, which is why everyone is so excited about it.
The dark patch in this image represents the first time we’ve seen light being absorbed by a black hole. It’s fascinating! We don’t fully understand what happens to light when it falls into a black hole because we lack a theory of quantum gravity, but for practical purposes, it is considered lost forever.
From this mega zoom, you don’t really get a sense of the geometry of what’s happening. So here’s another way to visualize where the M87 supermassive black hole is located: if you look just above the ecliptic plane from Earth, out of our solar system, past our closest stars, and out of the Milky Way, you’ll find it in the Virgo cluster.
I love these images! Just for fun, larger than this is the local supercluster, and beyond that is the observable universe. And that’s everything apart from the infinite universe beyond the observable universe. Space is incredibly vast!
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This version maintains the original content while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.
Black Hole – A region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. – Scientists believe that a black hole is formed when a massive star collapses under its own gravity.
Light – Electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight. – The speed of light is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second in a vacuum.
Galaxy – A large system of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity. – Our solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy.
Mass – The amount of matter in an object, which is not affected by gravity or location. – The mass of an object determines how much gravitational force it will exert on other objects.
Universe – All of space and everything in it, including stars, planets, galaxies, and all forms of matter and energy. – Astronomers study the universe to understand its origins and structure.
Telescope – An instrument that makes distant objects appear closer and larger, used especially for observing celestial bodies. – Galileo used a telescope to observe the moons of Jupiter.
Gravity – The force that attracts two bodies toward each other, typically noticeable as the attraction of objects toward the Earth. – Gravity keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun.
Cluster – A group of stars or galaxies that are bound together by gravity. – The Pleiades is a well-known star cluster visible in the night sky.
Solar System – The collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the Sun, along with smaller bodies such as asteroids and comets. – Earth is the third planet from the Sun in our solar system.
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite expanse that exists beyond Earth’s atmosphere, where stars, planets, and galaxies are found. – Astronauts travel to space to conduct experiments and explore the unknown.
