The world is finally about to see a black hole - not an artist's impression or a computer-generated likeness, but the real thing.
At six press conferences across the globe scheduled for 15:00 on Wednesday, scientists will unveil the first results from the Event Horizon Telescope , conceived precisely for that purpose. News24 will be in attendance at the University of Pretoria.Of all the forces in the Universe that we cannot see - including dark energy and dark matter - none has frustrated human curiosity as thoroughly as the invisible, star-devouring monsters known as black holes.
"X-rays, radio-waves, light - they all point to very compact objects, and the gravitational waves confirmed that they really are black holes, even if we have never actually seen one," said McNamara.Oddsmakers favour Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the centre of our own spiral galaxy, the Milky Way.That may sound like a big target, but for the telescope array on Earth some 26 000 light years away, it's like trying to photograph a golf ball on the Moon.
Eight such radio telescopes scattered across the globe - in Hawaii, Arizona, Spain, Mexico, Chile, and the South Pole - zeroed in Sag A* and M87 on four different days in April 2017. "The imaging algorithms we developed fill the gaps of data we are missing in order to reconstruct a picture," the team said on their website.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Scientists set to unveil first picture of a black holeThe world, it seems, is soon to see the first picture of a black hole.
Read more »
Black holes: picturing the heart of darknessAstronomers are poised to unveil the first direct image of a black hole and the surrounding whirlwind of white-hot gas and plasma.
Read more »
Black holes: picturing the heart of darknessAstronomers are poised to unveil the first direct image of a black hole and the surrounding whirlwind of white-hot gas and plasma.
Read more »
FIRST DRIVE | The New BMW Z4 is a true driver's carNew-generation roadster mixes pace, agile handling and ride comfort.
Read more »
First black woman elected Chicago mayor in historic voteLori Lightfoot became Chicago's first black female mayor. Since 1837, Chicago voters have elected only one black mayor and one female mayor.
Read more »
Lori Lightfoot elected as Chicago's first black, gay female mayor | IOL NewsChicago voters made history by electing LoriLightfoot as their first African-American woman for mayor.
Read more »
Chicago’s first openly lesbian, black mayor takes on ‘political machine’Lori Lightfoot replaces Rahm Emanuel, who announced in September he was not seeking a third term as mayor
Read more »
Can blacks be racists towards one another?Newsletter| Can black Africans be racist towards one another? South Africa has had several false starts in answering this question. But we now stand at the door of the opportunity to answer it once and for all, writes Patrick Wadula
Read more »
Eskom’s R250bn hole threatens utility’s survivalThe R250bn expected shortfall is in addition to the R69bn injection announced in February’s budget
Read more »
Angry Pretoria West residents still waiting for dangerous, smelly hole to be fixed | Pretoria News'We are tired of this hole because it is scary, it’s very deep and it traps water that smells very bad'
Read more »