# Black hole imaged for the first time! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364 "2019-04-10T22:25:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364/21 "2019-04-12T09:03:01Z")
“There’s something about this that’s so black, it’s like how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364/22 "2019-04-12T15:59:31Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > “There’s something about this that’s so black, it’s like how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.” Joey, have you ever seen a singularity naked? ---
**Author:** ![Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reindeer_flotilla/32/3024_2.png) [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reindeer_Flotilla)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364/23 "2019-04-12T21:19:51Z")
Also keep in mind that the apparent size of the black hole shadow in that image is larger than the actual black hole itself (by which I mean the event horizon sphere) by a factor of around 2.5 to 2.6 times. This is due to the fact that light that comes within that range is deflected enough to not head our way, and in fact it’s mostly orbited down to eventually pass the event horizon - in which case it certainly won’t ever reach us. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364/24 "2019-04-13T06:40:03Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > [XKCD has a size comparison](https://xkcd.com/2135/) of the M87 black hole to our own solar system - and the rough position of Voyager, as well. I’m impressed that we’ve shot something out so far away from Pluto; and that in a few short years we’ve sent something out and can still detect it at a distance of the radius of such a massive black hole. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364/26 "2019-04-13T10:12:12Z")
Reported (Amandamiller) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364/27 "2019-12-19T23:46:36Z")
Science has chosen this as the Breakthrough of the Year: > **[2017 in science: breakthroughs, breakdowns, and more](https://vis.sciencemag.org/breakthrough2019/finalists/#Darkness-made-visible)** > > From advances in CRISPR to endangered vaquitas, the highs and lows of this year in scientific research [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-imaged-for-the-first-time/832364.md?page=1)