Black hole illustration with a dark central region surrounded by bright orange rings and curved bands of light against a black background.Imaging black holes is challenging because they are distant and appear tiny in the sky—for example, M87*’s observed ring spans just 42 microarcseconds. The...Black hole illustration with a dark central region surrounded by bright orange rings and curved bands of light against a black background.

Imaging black holes is challenging because they are distant and appear tiny in the sky—for example, M87*’s observed ring spans just 42 microarcseconds. The black hole itself emits no light, so telescopes capture radio emission from superheated gas swirling outside the event horizon. The black hole’s intense gravity bends the paths of this light, shaping the bright ring that frames the central…

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