which was used to create the first image of a black hole
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project was used to create the first image of a black hole. It is a collaborative project involving multiple telescopes from around the world, working together as a virtual Earth-sized telescope. The first image was of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87), and it was captured using data collected by the EHT in April 2017. The historic image was released to the public on April 10, 2019.
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project was used to create the first image of a black hole. The project created a network of telescopes around the world that worked together to capture images of the black hole. The data from these telescopes was collected and processed using a technique called interferometry, which combined the signals from multiple telescopes to create a high-resolution image. The image of the black hole was captured and unveiled on April 10, 2019.
The first image of a black hole was created using a technique called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). Here's how it works:
1. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration used a network of radio telescopes located around the world.
2. Each telescope observed the targeted black hole -- which in this case was the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87.
3. Each radio telescope precisely measured the radio waves emitted by the black hole.
4. The recorded data from each telescope were carefully time-stamped using atomic clocks to ensure accuracy.
5. The recorded data from all the telescopes were then combined using a process known as interferometry. Interferometry involves combining signals from multiple telescopes to synthesize a larger, virtual telescope with the resolution of a telescope as large as the distance between the farthest telescopes in the network.
6. By exploiting the principle of interferometry, the EHT collaboration effectively simulated a gigantic Earth-sized telescope. This allowed them to capture the detailed radio emission patterns around the black hole.
7. Powerful supercomputers were used to analyze the massive amount of data collected and reconstruct the image of the black hole.
Therefore, the EHT collaboration used a network of radio telescopes and a technique called Very Long Baseline Interferometry to create the first image of a black hole.