RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON BLACK HOLES' OBSERVATION
Editor's Note: Audrey A. ('18) describes current discoveries on black holes and stars in this paper for her advanced chemistry class.
2015 was a huge year for physicists observing black holes and stars in our galaxy and beyond. It was also the sixty-year anniversary of Einstein’s death, and it just so happens that many of 2015’s major scientific achievements were to his credit.
Located in Mexico, the core of the Event Horizon Telescope hopes to capture the first image of a black hole. Using it, scientists have been able to follow the movement of a collection of stars that appear to be moving around Sagittarius A, a highly dense object that weighs the equivalent of 4 million suns but emits no light. Sagittarius A matches Einstein's description of the characteristics of a black hole, and supports his idea that there is a black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Einstein’s ideas came into play again last year with scientists studying the explosion of supernovas at the University of California, Berkeley. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity theorizes that very large objects (such as the earth) distort perception of space, time and light.
They discovered that what was originally observed as the explosion of multiple supernovas was really the explosion of the same supernova being seen at different times. When a star explodes, rays of light are shot out in different directions. Einstein hypothesised that if a galaxy was completely aligned in the path of these light rays, the rays will hit the galaxy at multiple points, in a kind of arc. Einstein conceptualized this idea decades ago, and now it is finally being observed. With the Hubble Telescope, scientists have seen light rays in a nearby galaxy, but they were not able to identify the light source as the telescope is not powerful enough to capture it. Using Einstein's understanding and modern technology, scientists were first able to identify that the light rays were coming from a supernova, and are now able to predict where the next light ray will hit.
It is just amazing that through a telescope scientists are able to look billions of light years away at other galaxies. Humans have a tendency to think that we are the superior species, that we have control over our lives and what happens to us because we have in a sense taken over planet earth with machinery and housing. When studying our universe however, it becomes very clear how small we are. The units and the numbers are ginormous, bigger than we can ever fathom. Although it is incredible that with human’s ability to reason and modern technology we are able to uncover how things work and how we got here, we are far from being in control.
That said, as technology develops more and more rapidly, it seem as though scientific discoveries are being made constantly. In just the past year, scientists have come close to capturing an image of a black hole, found more accurate interpretations of the explosion of supernovas, and tracked other galaxies on paths to collision. Almost more amazingly is the idea that these discoveries were made possible by previous knowledge and technologies from decades before. It has been one hundred years since Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity, and yet without it, refining our understanding of supernovae in relation to other galaxies would be impossible.
Considering all that was accomplished in the field of physics last year, it is exciting to think about what the new year will bring. If the Event Horizon Telescope actually allows for images of the black hole at the center of our universe, it will significantly impact scientists and the general public. Physicists doing related work may be able to more accurately predict the volume and mass of the black hole, or how long it will be before our solar system gets devoured. For the general public, specifically those who often question the authenticity of science for religious reasons or other causes, a tangible image of a black hole could give them hard evidence that black holes are in fact real, or even merely more appreciation for what scientists do. It is impossible to predict exactly what might get uncovered about the universe in the future or what effect it will bear, especially on a galactic level, but the more we understand, the more questions we have yet to answer.
Works Cited
Corum, J and Daniel, J. “What is General Relativity?” The New York Times 24 November 2015: Web.
Overbye, Dennis. “Astronomers Watch a Supernova and See Reruns.” The New York Times 5 March 2015: Web.
Overbye, Dennis. “Celestial Celebrations of Einstein.” The New York Times 28 December 2015: Web.
Located in Mexico, the core of the Event Horizon Telescope hopes to capture the first image of a black hole. Using it, scientists have been able to follow the movement of a collection of stars that appear to be moving around Sagittarius A, a highly dense object that weighs the equivalent of 4 million suns but emits no light. Sagittarius A matches Einstein's description of the characteristics of a black hole, and supports his idea that there is a black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Einstein’s ideas came into play again last year with scientists studying the explosion of supernovas at the University of California, Berkeley. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity theorizes that very large objects (such as the earth) distort perception of space, time and light.
They discovered that what was originally observed as the explosion of multiple supernovas was really the explosion of the same supernova being seen at different times. When a star explodes, rays of light are shot out in different directions. Einstein hypothesised that if a galaxy was completely aligned in the path of these light rays, the rays will hit the galaxy at multiple points, in a kind of arc. Einstein conceptualized this idea decades ago, and now it is finally being observed. With the Hubble Telescope, scientists have seen light rays in a nearby galaxy, but they were not able to identify the light source as the telescope is not powerful enough to capture it. Using Einstein's understanding and modern technology, scientists were first able to identify that the light rays were coming from a supernova, and are now able to predict where the next light ray will hit.
It is just amazing that through a telescope scientists are able to look billions of light years away at other galaxies. Humans have a tendency to think that we are the superior species, that we have control over our lives and what happens to us because we have in a sense taken over planet earth with machinery and housing. When studying our universe however, it becomes very clear how small we are. The units and the numbers are ginormous, bigger than we can ever fathom. Although it is incredible that with human’s ability to reason and modern technology we are able to uncover how things work and how we got here, we are far from being in control.
That said, as technology develops more and more rapidly, it seem as though scientific discoveries are being made constantly. In just the past year, scientists have come close to capturing an image of a black hole, found more accurate interpretations of the explosion of supernovas, and tracked other galaxies on paths to collision. Almost more amazingly is the idea that these discoveries were made possible by previous knowledge and technologies from decades before. It has been one hundred years since Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity, and yet without it, refining our understanding of supernovae in relation to other galaxies would be impossible.
Considering all that was accomplished in the field of physics last year, it is exciting to think about what the new year will bring. If the Event Horizon Telescope actually allows for images of the black hole at the center of our universe, it will significantly impact scientists and the general public. Physicists doing related work may be able to more accurately predict the volume and mass of the black hole, or how long it will be before our solar system gets devoured. For the general public, specifically those who often question the authenticity of science for religious reasons or other causes, a tangible image of a black hole could give them hard evidence that black holes are in fact real, or even merely more appreciation for what scientists do. It is impossible to predict exactly what might get uncovered about the universe in the future or what effect it will bear, especially on a galactic level, but the more we understand, the more questions we have yet to answer.
Works Cited
Corum, J and Daniel, J. “What is General Relativity?” The New York Times 24 November 2015: Web.
Overbye, Dennis. “Astronomers Watch a Supernova and See Reruns.” The New York Times 5 March 2015: Web.
Overbye, Dennis. “Celestial Celebrations of Einstein.” The New York Times 28 December 2015: Web.
