Till date, it has not been possible to take the direct picture of a black hole for the scientists studying about it. That picture might change with the latest technology playing a part in photographing a black hole for the first time. It is called the Event Horizon Telescope and it is of the size of an average planet.
According to NBC News, the next 10 days will see eight observatories on earth at six different locations to have their focus fixed on the massive black hole "Sagittarius A" concealed at the center of the Milky Way. If the weather is in favor with the scientists, they will be collecting data at the largest scale. Thanks to the Event Horizon Telescope, this is going to be the biggest collection of data ever attempted in the history of physics.
The main aim of this venture is to image the "event horizon" of Sagittarius A, which is termed by the scientists as the point from where there is no return. This might help the astronomers to understand what role a black hole plays in its respective galaxy. The scientists are sure that the Event Horizon Telescope will be the perfect "cloaking device" that will clear the air over a number of contentious issues regarding the existence of a black hole and its characteristics.
According to Vox, even with the Event Horizon Telescope, the main problem that persists with detecting a black hole is that even the biggest one in the center of a galaxy is relatively small in size. Moreover, due to the dark center of the black hole being surrounded by a number of bright objects, it becomes almost impossible for the scientists to envision it. Till date, there has been no direct observation of a black hole by the scientists. Instead, all they have looked for is the evidence of the effects of a black hole's gravity and radiation.
The Event Horizon Telescope will be the first telescope to take direct pictures of Sagittarius A. It will be connected by the radio telescopes situated at eight different locations on the earth, as mentioned earlier. Together, they will be generating a huge amount of data, which will be later processed to find out the location and features of the massive black hole.
The Event Horizon has started on April 4th and is expected to run until April 14th. Apart from observing Sagittarius A at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, the event horizon telescope will also take a look at the massive black hole at the center of the Galaxy Messier 87.
