🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 122 (from laksa127)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa122.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.mpg.de/13337404/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.mpg.de/13337404/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole","crawl_time":1775516419,"first_indexed_time":1554909573,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"de,mpg!www,\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole s443","src_root_hash":"2314124027911554722","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"First-ever picture of a black hole","meta_descriptions":["The Event Horizon Telescope, a worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes, has succeeded for the first time ever in photographing a black hole, focussing on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Max Planck researchers involved in direct observation of the massive gravity trap in the Messier 87 galaxy\nBlack holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.\nBlack holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.\nIn April 2017, the scientists linked eight telescopes around the globe for the first time, thus forming a virtual telescope with an aperture almost as large as the diameter of the Earth. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is the name of this technique, in which the signals of the individual antennas are superimposed. This synchronization takes place with the aid of high-precision atomic clocks accurate to the nanosecond. An extreme angular resolution of less than 20 micro arc seconds can be achieved; if our eyes had such a power, we could see the individual molecules in our hands.\nThe network of this so-called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) included the 30-meter IRAM mirror in Spain and the APEX telescope in Chile, in which the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is involved. In 2017 alone, the telescopes recorded a total of about four petabytes of data - such a large amount that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than sending the data via the Internet. The measurement data were calibrated and evaluated at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator.\n\"For the first time, the results give us a clear view of a supermassive black hole and mark an important milestone in our understanding of the fundamental processes that determine the formation and evolution of galaxies in the universe,\" says Anton Zensus, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and Chairman of the EHT Collaboration Council. Zensus said it was remarkable that in this project astronomical observations and theoretical interpretations led faster than expected to the expected result.\nAccording to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, the success is based on \"decades of European expertise\" in millimeter astronomy. \"As early as the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our institute with its two observatories demonstrated both technically and scientifically that we have a unique method with high-resolution radio observations to analyze the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. IRAM, an institution co-financed by the Max Planck Society, actively participated in the campaign with its 30-meter telescope. With its location in Europe and its extraordinary sensitivity, this telescope played a decisive role in the success of EHT observation.\nThe heart of the supermassive galaxy M 87 has two special characteristics that make it a suitable candidate for the project: Thanks to its unusual size and its relative proximity to Earth, it is easily visible, making it a perfect object of study for astronomers, who, with the global telescope network, finally have an instrument to observe such an exotic object directly.\nThe regions around supermassive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions we know of in space. Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that comprise an incredible total mass within a tiny area of space. Their mass and thus their gravitational pull are so large that even light cannot escape them. Therefore they remain black - and it is impossible to perceive them directly.\nThe only way to see black holes is to reproduce their \"shadow\". This is caused by the extremely strong diffraction of the light - just before it irrevocably disappears into the black hole. High-resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow astronomers to penetrate to the edges of black holes, undisturbed from dense dust and gas clouds.\nThe image now published was obtained at a wavelength of 1.3 millimetres and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure with a dark central region - the shadow of the black hole. Around this very massive and compact object, a hot gas plasma moves at high speeds. The ring-shaped structure on the image is nothing other than the strongly heated matter around the mass monster, whose light is deflected and amplified by itself like a lens. After a journey of around 55 million light years, it meets the telescopes of the EHT network.\nThe place of origin, M 87, is an elliptical giant galaxy near the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Charles Messier entered the object in his catalogue in 1781 under number 87. The galaxy is also known as a strong radio source called Virgo A and is very active. A jet of matter at least 5000 light years long shoots from its core, which is accelerated in the accretion disk of the black hole in the center and flows out in the form of a strongly bundled beam perpendicular to this disk at high speed.\nThe shadow tells researchers a lot about the nature of the central machinery and allows them to accurately determine the enormous total mass of the black hole of M 87. It is about 6.5 billion solar masses. This value corresponds well with that obtained from other observations.\n\"For many decades, we were only able to indirectly detect black holes,\" says Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Then, a few years ago, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time and made the effects of black holes on space-time audible when they merged. \"Now we can finally see them and have the opportunity to study these exotic objects and their extreme space-time curvature with all their fascination in a unique way,\" says the scientist, one of the main people responsible for the BlackHoleCam project as part of the EHT with its approximately 200 researchers.\nThe observations continue. Since the end of 2018 NOEMA, the second IRAM observatory in the French Alps, has also been part of the worldwide network. With its twelve highly sensitive antennas, NOEMA will be the EHT's most powerful telescope in the northern hemisphere. \"Thanks to NOEMA, we will enter a new sensitivity range and gain even more fascinating insights,\" says Karl Schuster.\nFor Anton Census, this success means a break in astronomy. \"In the future, researchers will clearly remember a time before and after this discovery far beyond our field of work,\" says the Max Planck Director. In his opinion, astronomers will better understand the galactic centers and gain a complete picture of the formation and evolution of active galaxies. In addition, the general theory of relativity will be put through its paces. \"Black holes are an ideal laboratory for measurements under strong gravity.\"","attrs_markdown":"- [Deutsch](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326591\/bild-eines-schwarzen-lochs)\n\nToggle navigation\n\n- [About us]()\n  - - [Profile](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/11761628\/profile-visions)\n      - [Portrait](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/short-portrait)\n      - [Sustainability](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/21497470\/sustainability-in-the-mps)\n      - [Facts and Figures](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/facts-and-figures)\n      - [Procedures and Regulations](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/about_us\/procedures)\n      - [Governing Bodies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/183267\/organisation)\n    - [Administration & Offices](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/7567318\/offices-and-facilites)\n      - [Administrative Headquarters](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/adminhq)\n      - [Central facilities](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/7567318\/offices-and-facilites)\n      - [Central Gender Equality Officer](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/central-gender-equality-officer)\n      - 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[Homepage](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/en)\n2. [Newsroom](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/en\/newsroom)\n3. [Research News](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/research-news)\n4. First-ever picture of a black hole\n\n# First-ever image of a black hole\nMax Planck researchers involved in direct observation of the massive gravity trap in the Messier 87 galaxy\n\nApril 10, 2019\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Black Holes](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Black%20Holes\/en)   [Galaxies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Galaxies\/en)\n\nBlack holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.\n\n![ Blurred orange ring on a black background, resembling a black hole.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)\n\n![ Blurred orange ring on a black background, resembling a black hole.](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326709\/original-1758018956.jpg?t=ZXlKM2FXUjBhQ0k2TVRNM09Dd2liMkpxWDJsa0lqb3hNek15Tmpjd09YMD0tLWI3M2U1MmIyYzg5MzgyNjg5MjBhNzkxNGE0NWU0NzcyNzBkNzIxODQ)\n\nView of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe.\n\n© EHT Collaboration\n\nView of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe.\n\n© EHT Collaboration\n\nBlack holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.\n\nIn April 2017, the scientists linked eight telescopes around the globe for the first time, thus forming a virtual telescope with an aperture almost as large as the diameter of the Earth. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is the name of this technique, in which the signals of the individual antennas are superimposed. This synchronization takes place with the aid of high-precision atomic clocks accurate to the nanosecond. An extreme angular resolution of less than 20 micro arc seconds can be achieved; if our eyes had such a power, we could see the individual molecules in our hands.\n\nThe network of this so-called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) included the 30-meter IRAM mirror in Spain and the APEX telescope in Chile, in which the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is involved. In 2017 alone, the telescopes recorded a total of about four petabytes of data - such a large amount that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than sending the data via the Internet. The measurement data were calibrated and evaluated at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator.\n\n\"For the first time, the results give us a clear view of a supermassive black hole and mark an important milestone in our understanding of the fundamental processes that determine the formation and evolution of galaxies in the universe,\" says Anton Zensus, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and Chairman of the EHT Collaboration Council. Zensus said it was remarkable that in this project astronomical observations and theoretical interpretations led faster than expected to the expected result.\n\nAccording to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, the success is based on \"decades of European expertise\" in millimeter astronomy. \"As early as the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our institute with its two observatories demonstrated both technically and scientifically that we have a unique method with high-resolution radio observations to analyze the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. IRAM, an institution co-financed by the Max Planck Society, actively participated in the campaign with its 30-meter telescope. With its location in Europe and its extraordinary sensitivity, this telescope played a decisive role in the success of EHT observation.\n\n![A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)\n\n![A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13330159\/original-1554883155.jpg?t=ZXlKM2FXUjBhQ0k2T1RZMkxDSnZZbXBmYVdRaU9qRXpNek13TVRVNWZRPT0tLTdkNzMyNTg2NWU3MzkyMTliYzk2OGQ2ODBiMGEwMmFhNmQ4NmVmMzk)\n\nA giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon… [\\[more\\]](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole)\n\nA giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.\n\n[\\[less\\]](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole)\n\n© NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI\/AURA)\n\nA giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.\n\n© NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI\/AURA)\n\nThe heart of the supermassive galaxy M 87 has two special characteristics that make it a suitable candidate for the project: Thanks to its unusual size and its relative proximity to Earth, it is easily visible, making it a perfect object of study for astronomers, who, with the global telescope network, finally have an instrument to observe such an exotic object directly.\n\nThe regions around supermassive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions we know of in space. Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that comprise an incredible total mass within a tiny area of space. Their mass and thus their gravitational pull are so large that even light cannot escape them. Therefore they remain black - and it is impossible to perceive them directly.\n\nThe only way to see black holes is to reproduce their \"shadow\". This is caused by the extremely strong diffraction of the light - just before it irrevocably disappears into the black hole. High-resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow astronomers to penetrate to the edges of black holes, undisturbed from dense dust and gas clouds.\n\nThe image now published was obtained at a wavelength of 1.3 millimetres and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure with a dark central region - the shadow of the black hole. Around this very massive and compact object, a hot gas plasma moves at high speeds. The ring-shaped structure on the image is nothing other than the strongly heated matter around the mass monster, whose light is deflected and amplified by itself like a lens. After a journey of around 55 million light years, it meets the telescopes of the EHT network.\n\nThe place of origin, M 87, is an elliptical giant galaxy near the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Charles Messier entered the object in his catalogue in 1781 under number 87. The galaxy is also known as a strong radio source called Virgo A and is very active. A jet of matter at least 5000 light years long shoots from its core, which is accelerated in the accretion disk of the black hole in the center and flows out in the form of a strongly bundled beam perpendicular to this disk at high speed.\n\n![Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)\n\n![Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13330611\/original-1554883155.jpg?t=ZXlKM2FXUjBhQ0k2T1RZMkxDSnZZbXBmYVdRaU9qRXpNek13TmpFeGZRPT0tLWMxYjY3MDcwMWJkMDc1ZGRhOTY2NTFiMThkNTYzYjJkNmVjMjVmNDI)\n\nWorldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.\n\n© APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT\/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO\/C. Malin\n\nWorldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.\n\n© APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT\/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO\/C. Malin\n\nThe shadow tells researchers a lot about the nature of the central machinery and allows them to accurately determine the enormous total mass of the black hole of M 87. It is about 6.5 billion solar masses. This value corresponds well with that obtained from other observations.\n\n\"For many decades, we were only able to indirectly detect black holes,\" says Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Then, a few years ago, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time and made the effects of black holes on space-time audible when they merged. \"Now we can finally see them and have the opportunity to study these exotic objects and their extreme space-time curvature with all their fascination in a unique way,\" says the scientist, one of the main people responsible for the BlackHoleCam project as part of the EHT with its approximately 200 researchers.\n\nThe observations continue. Since the end of 2018 NOEMA, the second IRAM observatory in the French Alps, has also been part of the worldwide network. With its twelve highly sensitive antennas, NOEMA will be the EHT's most powerful telescope in the northern hemisphere. \"Thanks to NOEMA, we will enter a new sensitivity range and gain even more fascinating insights,\" says Karl Schuster.\n\nFor Anton Census, this success means a break in astronomy. \"In the future, researchers will clearly remember a time before and after this discovery far beyond our field of work,\" says the Max Planck Director. In his opinion, astronomers will better understand the galactic centers and gain a complete picture of the formation and evolution of active galaxies. In addition, the general theory of relativity will be put through its paces. \"Black holes are an ideal laboratory for measurements under strong gravity.\"\n\n- [Science Magazine](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/mpresearch)\n- [Events](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/9023196\/events)\n- [My Science and Me](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/my-science-and-me-gallery)\n- [Images of Science](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/science-images)\n- [On Location](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/on-location)\n- [Infographics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/17089995\/infographics)\n- [Press Newsletter](https:\/\/communication.mpg.de\/a.php?sid=1gn.j1rjrr,f=7)\n\nContact\n\n#### Dr. Norbert Junkes\nPress and public relations  [Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/150339\/radio-astronomy)   [\\+49 2 28525-399](tel:+49228525-399)   [njunkes@...](mailto:b2dd5a0b681e52d84d21a66d353dec24116c801b14e7782227)\n\n#### Karin Zacher\nPress and Public Relations Office, IRAM    [\\+33 476 822-103](tel:+33476822-103)   [zacher@...](mailto:a6d64c0d660961f15230a2252162)\n\n[Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)](http:\/\/www.iram-institute.org\/ \"Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)\")\n\n#### Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer\n[Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/150339\/radio-astronomy)   [\\+49 228 525-278](tel:+49228525-278)   [mkramer@...](mailto:b1dc5d046e1e53d84d21a66d353eea2e)\n\n#### Dr. Karl Schuster\nDirektor IRAM    [\\+33 476 82-4908](tel:+3347682-4908)   [schuster@...](mailto:afd44710700f44ea6038bd6a2a3ee839)\n\n[IRAM](https:\/\/www.iram-institute.org\/ \"IRAM\")\n\n#### Prof. Dr. J. Anton Zensus\n[Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/150339\/radio-astronomy)   [\\+49 228 525-298](tel:+49228525-298)   [azensus@...](mailto:bdcd4a0b700e52d84d21a66d353dec24116c801b14e7782227)\n\nOriginal publication\n\nEHT Collaboration\n\nFirst M 87 Event Horizon Telescope Results\n\nThe Astrophysical Journal Letters\n\n[Source](https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/journal\/2041-8205\/page\/Focus_on_EHT)\n\nRelated articles\n\n####\n[![The mystery of the dark bodies](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/11225504\/the-mystery-of-the-dark-bodies)\n\n#### [The mystery of the dark bodies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/11225504\/the-mystery-of-the-dark-bodies)\nApril 10, 2019\n\nThe idea that black holes exist dates back to the 18th century\n\n[more](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/11225504\/the-mystery-of-the-dark-bodies)\n\n[![A snow-covered observatory features a large satellite dish pointing upwards, set against a clear, starry night sky, illustrating a remote, high-altitude location.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326052\/iram-30m-telescope)\n\n#### [A 30-metre eye in the Sierra Nevada](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326052\/iram-30m-telescope)\nApril 10, 2019\n\nThe IRAM antenna is part of the Event Horizon Telescope\n\n[more](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326052\/iram-30m-telescope)\n\n[![“An astounding coincidence with theory”](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326245\/interview-anton-zensus-max-planck-eht)\n\n#### [“An astounding coincidence with theory”](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326245\/interview-anton-zensus-max-planck-eht)\nApril 10, 2019\n\nMax Planck Director Anton Zensus on the first observation of the shadow of a black hole\n\n[more](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13326245\/interview-anton-zensus-max-planck-eht)\n\n![IRAM 30 meter telescope](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)\n\n[You can find this video on YouTube. Click on the image to be redirected there.](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=13qDxyJRCjo)\n\nYou can find this video on YouTube. Click on the image to be redirected there.\n\n#### Video: IRAM 30 meter telescope\n\n## Other Interesting Articles\nPrevious\n\n[![Scientific visualisation of a collection of debris discs around stars, shown in many individual views and different orientations. The image shows ring-shaped and disc-like dust structures, some seen face-on as bright rings, others tilted or edge-on as elongated, spindle-shaped features. The discs display irregular brightness patterns, gaps, and asymmetric concentrations, indicating dust and rocky debris in orbit. Colours range from yellow and orange to blue, representing different visualisation methods or physical properties. All objects are arranged in a regular grid on a black background.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25999418\/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x)\n\n### [ALMA telescope reveals teenage years of new worlds](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25999418\/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x)\nJanuary 20, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nNew astronomical survey captures previously unknown growing pains in the lives of planets\n\n[![A black circle in the center is surrounded by a faint ring, with bright red-orange curved lines visible on a grey backdrop, indicating light distortion. On the right an enlarged version of the orange-yellow arc with a slight dent in the middle. ](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25518363\/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x)\n\n### [Mysterious dark object in space](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25518363\/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x)\nJanuary 14, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)\n\nScientists detect the lowest mass dark object currently measured - an exotic concentration of dark matter?\n\n[![Production of green nickel for sustainable electrification](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25933453\/research-highlights-2025)\n\n### [Research highlights 2025](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25933453\/research-highlights-2025)\nDecember 22, 2025\n\n[Artificial Intelligence](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Artificial%20Intelligence\/en)   [Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Brain](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Brain\/en)   [Climate](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Climate\/en)   [Democracy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Democracy\/en)   [Developmental Biology](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Developmental%20Biology\/en)   [Ecology (E\\&C)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Ecology%20\\(E&C\\)\/en)   [Energy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Energy\/en)   [Galaxies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Galaxies\/en)   [Genetics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Genetics\/en)   [Immunobiology](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Immunobiology\/en)   [Materials Sciences (M\\&T)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Materials%20Sciences%20\\(M&T\\)\/en)   [Mathematics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Mathematics\/en)   [Medicine](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Medicine\/en)   [Microbiology (E\\&C)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Microbiology%20\\(E&C\\)\/en)   [Social Sciences](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Social%20Sciences\/en)\n\nA look back at a year of research with many highlights\n\n[![Dark background, bright circular structures with labels for WISPIT2b and WISPIT2c.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26293928\/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x)\n\n### [Rare discovery of two protoplanets](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26293928\/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x)\nMarch 27, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nA cosmic laboratory for planet formation in the WISPIT-2 System\n\n[![Artist's impression of a pair of black holes against a starry background. A bright blue ring can be seen around the pair, glowing red at the top and bottom.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26071110\/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x)\n\n### [New method could reveal hidden supermassive black hole binaries](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26071110\/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x)\nFebruary 12, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Black Holes](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Black%20Holes\/en)   [Gravitational Waves](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Gravitational%20Waves\/en)\n\nBright flashes of lensed starlight guide the way\n\n[![Numerous galaxies are visible as partially blurred bright spots. They have different shapes and sizes. Gas is visible as orange streaks that appear to move in curved paths.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26119786\/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe)\n\n### [How giant galaxies could form just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26119786\/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe)\nFebruary 10, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Galaxies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Galaxies\/en)\n\nNew radio observations of molecular gas reveal how dozens of galaxies rapidly merge together in the early universe.\n\n[![Person in dark clothing with crossed arms, casting shadow on wall: the Ugandan astronomer Geoffrey Andama.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26100748\/geoffrey-andama)\n\n### [“The best science thrives in community”](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26100748\/geoffrey-andama)\nFebruary 10, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nGeoffrey Andama was a mentee in the first round of the ARTEMIS program in 2023. Since September 2025, he has headed the Max Planck-Humboldt Research Unit at Muni University in Uganda. The new unit is dedicated to developing astrophysics and astronomy across Africa. In this interview, Andama talks about his path into science, the role of mentoring, and his vision for astronomy on the continent.\n\n[![Galaxy M82: A strand of white light including bright points and areas going from the left to the right side of the image, in the darkness of the universe](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26102988\/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle)\n\n### [Cosmic investigations: where does the cosmic particle with the second-highest energy ever measured come from?](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26102988\/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle)\nFebruary 06, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Particle Physics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Particle%20Physics\/en)\n\nThe cosmic particle that struck earth in 2021 with the second-highest energy ever measured may have originated in the nearby galaxy m82\n\n[![The galaxy Messier 87 is visible in the center of the image as a bright diffuse spot. A narrow bluish beam emanates from its center, which fans out slightly with increasing distance. This is the jet. The background is black. Some stars are visible as bright dots.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26046785\/probing-the-jet-base-of-the-supermassive-black-hole-in-m87)\n\n### [Probing the jet base of M87's supermassive black hole](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26046785\/probing-the-jet-base-of-the-supermassive-black-hole-in-m87)\nJanuary 28, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Black Holes](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Black%20Holes\/en)\n\nObservations with the Event Horizon Telescope enable researchers to localize the likely base of the central outflow in a massive galaxy\n\n[![Four observatories atop a hill project multiple laser beams into a deep blue, star-filled night sky, suggesting astronomical observation.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25819822\/nobel-laureate-genzel-leads-appeal-to-protect-the-paranal-observatory)\n\n### [Large observatory in Chile no longer threatened by industrial plant](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25819822\/nobel-laureate-genzel-leads-appeal-to-protect-the-paranal-observatory)\nJanuary 27, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nNobel Prize winner Genzel and nearly 30 leading researchers have been calling for the stop or relocation of an industrial plant\n\n[![A molecular model with colored atoms is set against a dramatic orange and red nebula, suggesting a scientific exploration theme.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26040668\/the-origins-of-the-chemistry-of-life-in-space)\n\n### [New insights into the origins of the chemistry of life](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26040668\/the-origins-of-the-chemistry-of-life-in-space)\nJanuary 23, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nAstrophysicists discover largest sulfur-containing molecular compound in space\n\n[![Detailed view of the solar corona with bright plasma streams and dark areas.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26019123\/magnetic-avalanche-on-the-sun)\n\n### [Magnetic avalanche on the Sun](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26019123\/magnetic-avalanche-on-the-sun)\nJanuary 21, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Solar System](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Solar%20System\/en)\n\nAt the end of 2024, ESA’s Solar Orbiter was lucky to witness a strong solar flare – and observed the events leading up to this firework with unprecedented precision.\n\n[![Scientific visualisation of a collection of debris discs around stars, shown in many individual views and different orientations. The image shows ring-shaped and disc-like dust structures, some seen face-on as bright rings, others tilted or edge-on as elongated, spindle-shaped features. The discs display irregular brightness patterns, gaps, and asymmetric concentrations, indicating dust and rocky debris in orbit. Colours range from yellow and orange to blue, representing different visualisation methods or physical properties. All objects are arranged in a regular grid on a black background.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25999418\/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x)\n\n### [ALMA telescope reveals teenage years of new worlds](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25999418\/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x)\nJanuary 20, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nNew astronomical survey captures previously unknown growing pains in the lives of planets\n\n[![A black circle in the center is surrounded by a faint ring, with bright red-orange curved lines visible on a grey backdrop, indicating light distortion. On the right an enlarged version of the orange-yellow arc with a slight dent in the middle. ](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25518363\/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x)\n\n### [Mysterious dark object in space](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25518363\/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x)\nJanuary 14, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)\n\nScientists detect the lowest mass dark object currently measured - an exotic concentration of dark matter?\n\n[![Production of green nickel for sustainable electrification](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25933453\/research-highlights-2025)\n\n### [Research highlights 2025](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25933453\/research-highlights-2025)\nDecember 22, 2025\n\n[Artificial Intelligence](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Artificial%20Intelligence\/en)   [Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Brain](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Brain\/en)   [Climate](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Climate\/en)   [Democracy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Democracy\/en)   [Developmental Biology](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Developmental%20Biology\/en)   [Ecology (E\\&C)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Ecology%20\\(E&C\\)\/en)   [Energy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Energy\/en)   [Galaxies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Galaxies\/en)   [Genetics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Genetics\/en)   [Immunobiology](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Immunobiology\/en)   [Materials Sciences (M\\&T)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Materials%20Sciences%20\\(M&T\\)\/en)   [Mathematics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Mathematics\/en)   [Medicine](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Medicine\/en)   [Microbiology (E\\&C)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Microbiology%20\\(E&C\\)\/en)   [Social Sciences](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Social%20Sciences\/en)\n\nA look back at a year of research with many highlights\n\n[![Dark background, bright circular structures with labels for WISPIT2b and WISPIT2c.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26293928\/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x)\n\n### [Rare discovery of two protoplanets](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26293928\/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x)\nMarch 27, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nA cosmic laboratory for planet formation in the WISPIT-2 System\n\n[![Artist's impression of a pair of black holes against a starry background. A bright blue ring can be seen around the pair, glowing red at the top and bottom.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26071110\/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x)\n\n### [New method could reveal hidden supermassive black hole binaries](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26071110\/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x)\nFebruary 12, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Black Holes](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Black%20Holes\/en)   [Gravitational Waves](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Gravitational%20Waves\/en)\n\nBright flashes of lensed starlight guide the way\n\n[![Numerous galaxies are visible as partially blurred bright spots. They have different shapes and sizes. Gas is visible as orange streaks that appear to move in curved paths.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26119786\/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe)\n\n### [How giant galaxies could form just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26119786\/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe)\nFebruary 10, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Galaxies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Galaxies\/en)\n\nNew radio observations of molecular gas reveal how dozens of galaxies rapidly merge together in the early universe.\n\n[![Person in dark clothing with crossed arms, casting shadow on wall: the Ugandan astronomer Geoffrey Andama.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26100748\/geoffrey-andama)\n\n### [“The best science thrives in community”](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26100748\/geoffrey-andama)\nFebruary 10, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nGeoffrey Andama was a mentee in the first round of the ARTEMIS program in 2023. Since September 2025, he has headed the Max Planck-Humboldt Research Unit at Muni University in Uganda. The new unit is dedicated to developing astrophysics and astronomy across Africa. In this interview, Andama talks about his path into science, the role of mentoring, and his vision for astronomy on the continent.\n\n[![Galaxy M82: A strand of white light including bright points and areas going from the left to the right side of the image, in the darkness of the universe](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26102988\/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle)\n\n### [Cosmic investigations: where does the cosmic particle with the second-highest energy ever measured come from?](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26102988\/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle)\nFebruary 06, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Particle Physics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Particle%20Physics\/en)\n\nThe cosmic particle that struck earth in 2021 with the second-highest energy ever measured may have originated in the nearby galaxy m82\n\n[![The galaxy Messier 87 is visible in the center of the image as a bright diffuse spot. A narrow bluish beam emanates from its center, which fans out slightly with increasing distance. This is the jet. The background is black. Some stars are visible as bright dots.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26046785\/probing-the-jet-base-of-the-supermassive-black-hole-in-m87)\n\n### [Probing the jet base of M87's supermassive black hole](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26046785\/probing-the-jet-base-of-the-supermassive-black-hole-in-m87)\nJanuary 28, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Black Holes](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Black%20Holes\/en)\n\nObservations with the Event Horizon Telescope enable researchers to localize the likely base of the central outflow in a massive galaxy\n\n[![Four observatories atop a hill project multiple laser beams into a deep blue, star-filled night sky, suggesting astronomical observation.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25819822\/nobel-laureate-genzel-leads-appeal-to-protect-the-paranal-observatory)\n\n### [Large observatory in Chile no longer threatened by industrial plant](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25819822\/nobel-laureate-genzel-leads-appeal-to-protect-the-paranal-observatory)\nJanuary 27, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nNobel Prize winner Genzel and nearly 30 leading researchers have been calling for the stop or relocation of an industrial plant\n\n[![A molecular model with colored atoms is set against a dramatic orange and red nebula, suggesting a scientific exploration theme.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26040668\/the-origins-of-the-chemistry-of-life-in-space)\n\n### [New insights into the origins of the chemistry of life](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26040668\/the-origins-of-the-chemistry-of-life-in-space)\nJanuary 23, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nAstrophysicists discover largest sulfur-containing molecular compound in space\n\n[![Detailed view of the solar corona with bright plasma streams and dark areas.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26019123\/magnetic-avalanche-on-the-sun)\n\n### [Magnetic avalanche on the Sun](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/26019123\/magnetic-avalanche-on-the-sun)\nJanuary 21, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)   [Solar System](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Solar%20System\/en)\n\nAt the end of 2024, ESA’s Solar Orbiter was lucky to witness a strong solar flare – and observed the events leading up to this firework with unprecedented precision.\n\n[![Scientific visualisation of a collection of debris discs around stars, shown in many individual views and different orientations. The image shows ring-shaped and disc-like dust structures, some seen face-on as bright rings, others tilted or edge-on as elongated, spindle-shaped features. The discs display irregular brightness patterns, gaps, and asymmetric concentrations, indicating dust and rocky debris in orbit. Colours range from yellow and orange to blue, representing different visualisation methods or physical properties. All objects are arranged in a regular grid on a black background.](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25999418\/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x)\n\n### [ALMA telescope reveals teenage years of new worlds](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25999418\/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x)\nJanuary 20, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Astrophysics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astrophysics\/en)\n\nNew astronomical survey captures previously unknown growing pains in the lives of planets\n\n[![A black circle in the center is surrounded by a faint ring, with bright red-orange curved lines visible on a grey backdrop, indicating light distortion. On the right an enlarged version of the orange-yellow arc with a slight dent in the middle. ](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25518363\/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x)\n\n### [Mysterious dark object in space](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25518363\/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x)\nJanuary 14, 2026\n\n[Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)\n\nScientists detect the lowest mass dark object currently measured - an exotic concentration of dark matter?\n\n[![Production of green nickel for sustainable electrification](data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25933453\/research-highlights-2025)\n\n### [Research highlights 2025](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/25933453\/research-highlights-2025)\nDecember 22, 2025\n\n[Artificial Intelligence](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Artificial%20Intelligence\/en)   [Astronomy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Astronomy\/en)   [Brain](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Brain\/en)   [Climate](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Climate\/en)   [Democracy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Democracy\/en)   [Developmental Biology](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Developmental%20Biology\/en)   [Ecology (E\\&C)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Ecology%20\\(E&C\\)\/en)   [Energy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Energy\/en)   [Galaxies](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Galaxies\/en)   [Genetics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Genetics\/en)   [Immunobiology](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Immunobiology\/en)   [Materials Sciences (M\\&T)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Materials%20Sciences%20\\(M&T\\)\/en)   [Mathematics](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Mathematics\/en)   [Medicine](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Medicine\/en)   [Microbiology (E\\&C)](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Microbiology%20\\(E&C\\)\/en)   [Social Sciences](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/newsroom\/Social%20Sciences\/en)\n\nA look back at a year of research with many highlights\n\nNext\n\n◼\n\n[Top](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole#top)\n\n#### Useful Links\n- [President](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/president)\n- [Facts & Figures](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/facts-and-figures)\n- [Annual Report](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/annual-report)\n- [Purchase](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/en\/purchase)\n- [Reporting Misconduct](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/report-misconduct)\n\n#### Social Media\n- [Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/maxplanck.de)\n- [Mastodon](https:\/\/wisskomm.social\/@maxplanckgesellschaft)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/max-planck-society)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@maxplanckscience)\n\n#### Social Media\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/maxplancksociety)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maxplanckgesellschaft\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MaxPlanckSociety)\n- [Netiquette](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/en\/social-media-netiquette)\n\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/12627310\/contact-institutes-and-administrative-headquarters)\n- [Alumni](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/247777\/alumni-activities)\n- [Events](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/9023196\/events)\n- [Keyword Collection](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13872581\/keyword-collection)\n- [RSS](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/en\/research.rss)\n\nMax-Planck-Gesellschaft\n\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/sitemap-en)\n- [Imprint](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/imprint)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/data-protection-information)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/20439578\/declaration-on-accessibility)\n\n©\n\n2026, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft\n\n© 2003-2026, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft\n\nWeb-View\n\nPrint Page\n\n[Open in new window](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole?print=yes)\n\nEstimated DIN-A4 page-width\n\n[Go to Editor View](https:\/\/mpg.iedit.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole \"https:\/\/mpg.iedit.mpg.de\/13337404\/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole\")\n\n## Notification Settings\nReceive notifications for English content\n\nReceive notifications for German content\n\n[Data protection information](https:\/\/www.mpg.de\/data-protection-information)\n\nSave\n\nClose\n\n![](https:\/\/statistik.mpg.de\/api?idsite=601&rec=1)\n\nPrevious\n\nWorldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.\n\n© APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT\/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO\/C. Malin\n\nView of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe.\n\n© EHT Collaboration\n\nA giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.\n\n© NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI\/AURA)\n\nWorldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.\n\n© APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT\/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO\/C. Malin\n\nView of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe.\n\n© EHT Collaboration\n\nA giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.\n\n© NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI\/AURA)\n\nWorldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.\n\n© APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT\/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO\/C. Malin\n\nNext\n\nEsc","attrs_readable_markdown":"Max Planck researchers involved in direct observation of the massive gravity trap in the Messier 87 galaxy\n\nBlack holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.\n\nBlack holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.\n\nIn April 2017, the scientists linked eight telescopes around the globe for the first time, thus forming a virtual telescope with an aperture almost as large as the diameter of the Earth. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is the name of this technique, in which the signals of the individual antennas are superimposed. This synchronization takes place with the aid of high-precision atomic clocks accurate to the nanosecond. An extreme angular resolution of less than 20 micro arc seconds can be achieved; if our eyes had such a power, we could see the individual molecules in our hands.\n\nThe network of this so-called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) included the 30-meter IRAM mirror in Spain and the APEX telescope in Chile, in which the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is involved. In 2017 alone, the telescopes recorded a total of about four petabytes of data - such a large amount that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than sending the data via the Internet. The measurement data were calibrated and evaluated at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator.\n\n\"For the first time, the results give us a clear view of a supermassive black hole and mark an important milestone in our understanding of the fundamental processes that determine the formation and evolution of galaxies in the universe,\" says Anton Zensus, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and Chairman of the EHT Collaboration Council. Zensus said it was remarkable that in this project astronomical observations and theoretical interpretations led faster than expected to the expected result.\n\nAccording to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, the success is based on \"decades of European expertise\" in millimeter astronomy. \"As early as the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our institute with its two observatories demonstrated both technically and scientifically that we have a unique method with high-resolution radio observations to analyze the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. IRAM, an institution co-financed by the Max Planck Society, actively participated in the campaign with its 30-meter telescope. With its location in Europe and its extraordinary sensitivity, this telescope played a decisive role in the success of EHT observation.\n\nThe heart of the supermassive galaxy M 87 has two special characteristics that make it a suitable candidate for the project: Thanks to its unusual size and its relative proximity to Earth, it is easily visible, making it a perfect object of study for astronomers, who, with the global telescope network, finally have an instrument to observe such an exotic object directly.\n\nThe regions around supermassive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions we know of in space. Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that comprise an incredible total mass within a tiny area of space. Their mass and thus their gravitational pull are so large that even light cannot escape them. Therefore they remain black - and it is impossible to perceive them directly.\n\nThe only way to see black holes is to reproduce their \"shadow\". This is caused by the extremely strong diffraction of the light - just before it irrevocably disappears into the black hole. High-resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow astronomers to penetrate to the edges of black holes, undisturbed from dense dust and gas clouds.\n\nThe image now published was obtained at a wavelength of 1.3 millimetres and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure with a dark central region - the shadow of the black hole. Around this very massive and compact object, a hot gas plasma moves at high speeds. The ring-shaped structure on the image is nothing other than the strongly heated matter around the mass monster, whose light is deflected and amplified by itself like a lens. After a journey of around 55 million light years, it meets the telescopes of the EHT network.\n\nThe place of origin, M 87, is an elliptical giant galaxy near the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Charles Messier entered the object in his catalogue in 1781 under number 87. The galaxy is also known as a strong radio source called Virgo A and is very active. A jet of matter at least 5000 light years long shoots from its core, which is accelerated in the accretion disk of the black hole in the center and flows out in the form of a strongly bundled beam perpendicular to this disk at high speed.\n\nThe shadow tells researchers a lot about the nature of the central machinery and allows them to accurately determine the enormous total mass of the black hole of M 87. It is about 6.5 billion solar masses. This value corresponds well with that obtained from other observations.\n\n\"For many decades, we were only able to indirectly detect black holes,\" says Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Then, a few years ago, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time and made the effects of black holes on space-time audible when they merged. \"Now we can finally see them and have the opportunity to study these exotic objects and their extreme space-time curvature with all their fascination in a unique way,\" says the scientist, one of the main people responsible for the BlackHoleCam project as part of the EHT with its approximately 200 researchers.\n\nThe observations continue. Since the end of 2018 NOEMA, the second IRAM observatory in the French Alps, has also been part of the worldwide network. With its twelve highly sensitive antennas, NOEMA will be the EHT's most powerful telescope in the northern hemisphere. \"Thanks to NOEMA, we will enter a new sensitivity range and gain even more fascinating insights,\" says Karl Schuster.\n\nFor Anton Census, this success means a break in astronomy. \"In the future, researchers will clearly remember a time before and after this discovery far beyond our field of work,\" says the Max Planck Director. In his opinion, astronomers will better understand the galactic centers and gain a complete picture of the formation and evolution of active galaxies. In addition, the general theory of relativity will be put through its paces. \"Black holes are an ideal laboratory for measurements under strong gravity.\"","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	First-ever picture of a black hole
Meta Description	The Event Horizon Telescope, a worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes, has succeeded for the first time ever in photographing a black hole, focussing on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation.
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Boilerpipe Text	Max Planck researchers involved in direct observation of the massive gravity trap in the Messier 87 galaxy Black holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation. Black holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation. In April 2017, the scientists linked eight telescopes around the globe for the first time, thus forming a virtual telescope with an aperture almost as large as the diameter of the Earth. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is the name of this technique, in which the signals of the individual antennas are superimposed. This synchronization takes place with the aid of high-precision atomic clocks accurate to the nanosecond. An extreme angular resolution of less than 20 micro arc seconds can be achieved; if our eyes had such a power, we could see the individual molecules in our hands. The network of this so-called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) included the 30-meter IRAM mirror in Spain and the APEX telescope in Chile, in which the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is involved. In 2017 alone, the telescopes recorded a total of about four petabytes of data - such a large amount that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than sending the data via the Internet. The measurement data were calibrated and evaluated at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator. "For the first time, the results give us a clear view of a supermassive black hole and mark an important milestone in our understanding of the fundamental processes that determine the formation and evolution of galaxies in the universe," says Anton Zensus, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and Chairman of the EHT Collaboration Council. Zensus said it was remarkable that in this project astronomical observations and theoretical interpretations led faster than expected to the expected result. According to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, the success is based on "decades of European expertise" in millimeter astronomy. "As early as the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our institute with its two observatories demonstrated both technically and scientifically that we have a unique method with high-resolution radio observations to analyze the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. IRAM, an institution co-financed by the Max Planck Society, actively participated in the campaign with its 30-meter telescope. With its location in Europe and its extraordinary sensitivity, this telescope played a decisive role in the success of EHT observation. The heart of the supermassive galaxy M 87 has two special characteristics that make it a suitable candidate for the project: Thanks to its unusual size and its relative proximity to Earth, it is easily visible, making it a perfect object of study for astronomers, who, with the global telescope network, finally have an instrument to observe such an exotic object directly. The regions around supermassive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions we know of in space. Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that comprise an incredible total mass within a tiny area of space. Their mass and thus their gravitational pull are so large that even light cannot escape them. Therefore they remain black - and it is impossible to perceive them directly. The only way to see black holes is to reproduce their "shadow". This is caused by the extremely strong diffraction of the light - just before it irrevocably disappears into the black hole. High-resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow astronomers to penetrate to the edges of black holes, undisturbed from dense dust and gas clouds. The image now published was obtained at a wavelength of 1.3 millimetres and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure with a dark central region - the shadow of the black hole. Around this very massive and compact object, a hot gas plasma moves at high speeds. The ring-shaped structure on the image is nothing other than the strongly heated matter around the mass monster, whose light is deflected and amplified by itself like a lens. After a journey of around 55 million light years, it meets the telescopes of the EHT network. The place of origin, M 87, is an elliptical giant galaxy near the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Charles Messier entered the object in his catalogue in 1781 under number 87. The galaxy is also known as a strong radio source called Virgo A and is very active. A jet of matter at least 5000 light years long shoots from its core, which is accelerated in the accretion disk of the black hole in the center and flows out in the form of a strongly bundled beam perpendicular to this disk at high speed. The shadow tells researchers a lot about the nature of the central machinery and allows them to accurately determine the enormous total mass of the black hole of M 87. It is about 6.5 billion solar masses. This value corresponds well with that obtained from other observations. "For many decades, we were only able to indirectly detect black holes," says Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Then, a few years ago, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time and made the effects of black holes on space-time audible when they merged. "Now we can finally see them and have the opportunity to study these exotic objects and their extreme space-time curvature with all their fascination in a unique way," says the scientist, one of the main people responsible for the BlackHoleCam project as part of the EHT with its approximately 200 researchers. The observations continue. Since the end of 2018 NOEMA, the second IRAM observatory in the French Alps, has also been part of the worldwide network. With its twelve highly sensitive antennas, NOEMA will be the EHT's most powerful telescope in the northern hemisphere. "Thanks to NOEMA, we will enter a new sensitivity range and gain even more fascinating insights," says Karl Schuster. For Anton Census, this success means a break in astronomy. "In the future, researchers will clearly remember a time before and after this discovery far beyond our field of work," says the Max Planck Director. In his opinion, astronomers will better understand the galactic centers and gain a complete picture of the formation and evolution of active galaxies. In addition, the general theory of relativity will be put through its paces. "Black holes are an ideal laboratory for measurements under strong gravity."
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[Homepage](https://www.mpg.de/en) 2. [Newsroom](https://www.mpg.de/en/newsroom) 3. [Research News](https://www.mpg.de/research-news) 4. First-ever picture of a black hole # First-ever image of a black hole Max Planck researchers involved in direct observation of the massive gravity trap in the Messier 87 galaxy April 10, 2019 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Black Holes](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Black%20Holes/en) [Galaxies](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Galaxies/en) Black holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation. ![ Blurred orange ring on a black background, resembling a black hole.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E) ![ Blurred orange ring on a black background, resembling a black hole.](https://www.mpg.de/13326709/original-1758018956.jpg?t=ZXlKM2FXUjBhQ0k2TVRNM09Dd2liMkpxWDJsa0lqb3hNek15Tmpjd09YMD0tLWI3M2U1MmIyYzg5MzgyNjg5MjBhNzkxNGE0NWU0NzcyNzBkNzIxODQ) View of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe. © EHT Collaboration View of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe. © EHT Collaboration Black holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation. In April 2017, the scientists linked eight telescopes around the globe for the first time, thus forming a virtual telescope with an aperture almost as large as the diameter of the Earth. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is the name of this technique, in which the signals of the individual antennas are superimposed. This synchronization takes place with the aid of high-precision atomic clocks accurate to the nanosecond. An extreme angular resolution of less than 20 micro arc seconds can be achieved; if our eyes had such a power, we could see the individual molecules in our hands. The network of this so-called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) included the 30-meter IRAM mirror in Spain and the APEX telescope in Chile, in which the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is involved. In 2017 alone, the telescopes recorded a total of about four petabytes of data - such a large amount that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than sending the data via the Internet. The measurement data were calibrated and evaluated at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator. "For the first time, the results give us a clear view of a supermassive black hole and mark an important milestone in our understanding of the fundamental processes that determine the formation and evolution of galaxies in the universe," says Anton Zensus, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and Chairman of the EHT Collaboration Council. Zensus said it was remarkable that in this project astronomical observations and theoretical interpretations led faster than expected to the expected result. According to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, the success is based on "decades of European expertise" in millimeter astronomy. "As early as the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our institute with its two observatories demonstrated both technically and scientifically that we have a unique method with high-resolution radio observations to analyze the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. IRAM, an institution co-financed by the Max Planck Society, actively participated in the campaign with its 30-meter telescope. With its location in Europe and its extraordinary sensitivity, this telescope played a decisive role in the success of EHT observation. ![A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E) ![A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system.](https://www.mpg.de/13330159/original-1554883155.jpg?t=ZXlKM2FXUjBhQ0k2T1RZMkxDSnZZbXBmYVdRaU9qRXpNek13TVRVNWZRPT0tLTdkNzMyNTg2NWU3MzkyMTliYzk2OGQ2ODBiMGEwMmFhNmQ4NmVmMzk) A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon… [\[more\]](https://www.mpg.de/13337404/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole) A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system. [\[less\]](https://www.mpg.de/13337404/first-ever-picture-of-black-hole) © NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system. © NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) The heart of the supermassive galaxy M 87 has two special characteristics that make it a suitable candidate for the project: Thanks to its unusual size and its relative proximity to Earth, it is easily visible, making it a perfect object of study for astronomers, who, with the global telescope network, finally have an instrument to observe such an exotic object directly. The regions around supermassive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions we know of in space. Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that comprise an incredible total mass within a tiny area of space. Their mass and thus their gravitational pull are so large that even light cannot escape them. Therefore they remain black - and it is impossible to perceive them directly. The only way to see black holes is to reproduce their "shadow". This is caused by the extremely strong diffraction of the light - just before it irrevocably disappears into the black hole. High-resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow astronomers to penetrate to the edges of black holes, undisturbed from dense dust and gas clouds. The image now published was obtained at a wavelength of 1.3 millimetres and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure with a dark central region - the shadow of the black hole. Around this very massive and compact object, a hot gas plasma moves at high speeds. The ring-shaped structure on the image is nothing other than the strongly heated matter around the mass monster, whose light is deflected and amplified by itself like a lens. After a journey of around 55 million light years, it meets the telescopes of the EHT network. The place of origin, M 87, is an elliptical giant galaxy near the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Charles Messier entered the object in his catalogue in 1781 under number 87. The galaxy is also known as a strong radio source called Virgo A and is very active. A jet of matter at least 5000 light years long shoots from its core, which is accelerated in the accretion disk of the black hole in the center and flows out in the form of a strongly bundled beam perpendicular to this disk at high speed. ![Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E) ![Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope.](https://www.mpg.de/13330611/original-1554883155.jpg?t=ZXlKM2FXUjBhQ0k2T1RZMkxDSnZZbXBmYVdRaU9qRXpNek13TmpFeGZRPT0tLWMxYjY3MDcwMWJkMDc1ZGRhOTY2NTFiMThkNTYzYjJkNmVjMjVmNDI) Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope. © APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO/C. Malin Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope. © APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO/C. Malin The shadow tells researchers a lot about the nature of the central machinery and allows them to accurately determine the enormous total mass of the black hole of M 87. It is about 6.5 billion solar masses. This value corresponds well with that obtained from other observations. "For many decades, we were only able to indirectly detect black holes," says Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Then, a few years ago, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time and made the effects of black holes on space-time audible when they merged. "Now we can finally see them and have the opportunity to study these exotic objects and their extreme space-time curvature with all their fascination in a unique way," says the scientist, one of the main people responsible for the BlackHoleCam project as part of the EHT with its approximately 200 researchers. The observations continue. Since the end of 2018 NOEMA, the second IRAM observatory in the French Alps, has also been part of the worldwide network. With its twelve highly sensitive antennas, NOEMA will be the EHT's most powerful telescope in the northern hemisphere. "Thanks to NOEMA, we will enter a new sensitivity range and gain even more fascinating insights," says Karl Schuster. For Anton Census, this success means a break in astronomy. "In the future, researchers will clearly remember a time before and after this discovery far beyond our field of work," says the Max Planck Director. In his opinion, astronomers will better understand the galactic centers and gain a complete picture of the formation and evolution of active galaxies. In addition, the general theory of relativity will be put through its paces. "Black holes are an ideal laboratory for measurements under strong gravity." - [Science Magazine](https://www.mpg.de/mpresearch) - [Events](https://www.mpg.de/9023196/events) - [My Science and Me](https://www.mpg.de/my-science-and-me-gallery) - [Images of Science](https://www.mpg.de/science-images) - [On Location](https://www.mpg.de/on-location) - [Infographics](https://www.mpg.de/17089995/infographics) - [Press Newsletter](https://communication.mpg.de/a.php?sid=1gn.j1rjrr,f=7) Contact #### Dr. Norbert Junkes Press and public relations [Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn](https://www.mpg.de/150339/radio-astronomy) [\+49 2 28525-399](tel:+49228525-399) [njunkes@...](mailto:b2dd5a0b681e52d84d21a66d353dec24116c801b14e7782227) #### Karin Zacher Press and Public Relations Office, IRAM [\+33 476 822-103](tel:+33476822-103) [zacher@...](mailto:a6d64c0d660961f15230a2252162) [Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)](http://www.iram-institute.org/ "Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)") #### Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer [Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn](https://www.mpg.de/150339/radio-astronomy) [\+49 228 525-278](tel:+49228525-278) [mkramer@...](mailto:b1dc5d046e1e53d84d21a66d353eea2e) #### Dr. Karl Schuster Direktor IRAM [\+33 476 82-4908](tel:+3347682-4908) [schuster@...](mailto:afd44710700f44ea6038bd6a2a3ee839) [IRAM](https://www.iram-institute.org/ "IRAM") #### Prof. Dr. J. Anton Zensus [Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn](https://www.mpg.de/150339/radio-astronomy) [\+49 228 525-298](tel:+49228525-298) [azensus@...](mailto:bdcd4a0b700e52d84d21a66d353dec24116c801b14e7782227) Original publication EHT Collaboration First M 87 Event Horizon Telescope Results The Astrophysical Journal Letters [Source](https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2041-8205/page/Focus_on_EHT) Related articles #### [![The mystery of the dark bodies](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/11225504/the-mystery-of-the-dark-bodies) #### [The mystery of the dark bodies](https://www.mpg.de/11225504/the-mystery-of-the-dark-bodies) April 10, 2019 The idea that black holes exist dates back to the 18th century [more](https://www.mpg.de/11225504/the-mystery-of-the-dark-bodies) [![A snow-covered observatory features a large satellite dish pointing upwards, set against a clear, starry night sky, illustrating a remote, high-altitude location.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/13326052/iram-30m-telescope) #### [A 30-metre eye in the Sierra Nevada](https://www.mpg.de/13326052/iram-30m-telescope) April 10, 2019 The IRAM antenna is part of the Event Horizon Telescope [more](https://www.mpg.de/13326052/iram-30m-telescope) [![“An astounding coincidence with theory”](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/13326245/interview-anton-zensus-max-planck-eht) #### [“An astounding coincidence with theory”](https://www.mpg.de/13326245/interview-anton-zensus-max-planck-eht) April 10, 2019 Max Planck Director Anton Zensus on the first observation of the shadow of a black hole [more](https://www.mpg.de/13326245/interview-anton-zensus-max-planck-eht) ![IRAM 30 meter telescope](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E) [You can find this video on YouTube. Click on the image to be redirected there.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13qDxyJRCjo) You can find this video on YouTube. Click on the image to be redirected there. #### Video: IRAM 30 meter telescope ## Other Interesting Articles Previous [![Scientific visualisation of a collection of debris discs around stars, shown in many individual views and different orientations. The image shows ring-shaped and disc-like dust structures, some seen face-on as bright rings, others tilted or edge-on as elongated, spindle-shaped features. The discs display irregular brightness patterns, gaps, and asymmetric concentrations, indicating dust and rocky debris in orbit. Colours range from yellow and orange to blue, representing different visualisation methods or physical properties. All objects are arranged in a regular grid on a black background.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25999418/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x) ### [ALMA telescope reveals teenage years of new worlds](https://www.mpg.de/25999418/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x) January 20, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) New astronomical survey captures previously unknown growing pains in the lives of planets [![A black circle in the center is surrounded by a faint ring, with bright red-orange curved lines visible on a grey backdrop, indicating light distortion. On the right an enlarged version of the orange-yellow arc with a slight dent in the middle. ](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25518363/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x) ### [Mysterious dark object in space](https://www.mpg.de/25518363/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x) January 14, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) Scientists detect the lowest mass dark object currently measured - an exotic concentration of dark matter? [![Production of green nickel for sustainable electrification](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25933453/research-highlights-2025) ### [Research highlights 2025](https://www.mpg.de/25933453/research-highlights-2025) December 22, 2025 [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Artificial%20Intelligence/en) [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Brain](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Brain/en) [Climate](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Climate/en) [Democracy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Democracy/en) [Developmental Biology](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Developmental%20Biology/en) [Ecology (E\&C)](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Ecology%20\(E&C\)/en) [Energy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Energy/en) [Galaxies](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Galaxies/en) [Genetics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Genetics/en) [Immunobiology](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Immunobiology/en) [Materials Sciences (M\&T)](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Materials%20Sciences%20\(M&T\)/en) [Mathematics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Mathematics/en) [Medicine](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Medicine/en) [Microbiology (E\&C)](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Microbiology%20\(E&C\)/en) [Social Sciences](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Social%20Sciences/en) A look back at a year of research with many highlights [![Dark background, bright circular structures with labels for WISPIT2b and WISPIT2c.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26293928/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x) ### [Rare discovery of two protoplanets](https://www.mpg.de/26293928/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x) March 27, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) A cosmic laboratory for planet formation in the WISPIT-2 System [![Artist's impression of a pair of black holes against a starry background. A bright blue ring can be seen around the pair, glowing red at the top and bottom.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26071110/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x) ### [New method could reveal hidden supermassive black hole binaries](https://www.mpg.de/26071110/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x) February 12, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Black Holes](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Black%20Holes/en) [Gravitational Waves](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Gravitational%20Waves/en) Bright flashes of lensed starlight guide the way [![Numerous galaxies are visible as partially blurred bright spots. They have different shapes and sizes. Gas is visible as orange streaks that appear to move in curved paths.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26119786/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe) ### [How giant galaxies could form just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang](https://www.mpg.de/26119786/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe) February 10, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Galaxies](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Galaxies/en) New radio observations of molecular gas reveal how dozens of galaxies rapidly merge together in the early universe. [![Person in dark clothing with crossed arms, casting shadow on wall: the Ugandan astronomer Geoffrey Andama.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26100748/geoffrey-andama) ### [“The best science thrives in community”](https://www.mpg.de/26100748/geoffrey-andama) February 10, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) Geoffrey Andama was a mentee in the first round of the ARTEMIS program in 2023. Since September 2025, he has headed the Max Planck-Humboldt Research Unit at Muni University in Uganda. The new unit is dedicated to developing astrophysics and astronomy across Africa. In this interview, Andama talks about his path into science, the role of mentoring, and his vision for astronomy on the continent. [![Galaxy M82: A strand of white light including bright points and areas going from the left to the right side of the image, in the darkness of the universe](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26102988/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle) ### [Cosmic investigations: where does the cosmic particle with the second-highest energy ever measured come from?](https://www.mpg.de/26102988/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle) February 06, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Particle Physics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Particle%20Physics/en) The cosmic particle that struck earth in 2021 with the second-highest energy ever measured may have originated in the nearby galaxy m82 [![The galaxy Messier 87 is visible in the center of the image as a bright diffuse spot. A narrow bluish beam emanates from its center, which fans out slightly with increasing distance. This is the jet. The background is black. Some stars are visible as bright dots.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26046785/probing-the-jet-base-of-the-supermassive-black-hole-in-m87) ### [Probing the jet base of M87's supermassive black hole](https://www.mpg.de/26046785/probing-the-jet-base-of-the-supermassive-black-hole-in-m87) January 28, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Black Holes](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Black%20Holes/en) Observations with the Event Horizon Telescope enable researchers to localize the likely base of the central outflow in a massive galaxy [![Four observatories atop a hill project multiple laser beams into a deep blue, star-filled night sky, suggesting astronomical observation.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25819822/nobel-laureate-genzel-leads-appeal-to-protect-the-paranal-observatory) ### [Large observatory in Chile no longer threatened by industrial plant](https://www.mpg.de/25819822/nobel-laureate-genzel-leads-appeal-to-protect-the-paranal-observatory) January 27, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) Nobel Prize winner Genzel and nearly 30 leading researchers have been calling for the stop or relocation of an industrial plant [![A molecular model with colored atoms is set against a dramatic orange and red nebula, suggesting a scientific exploration theme.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26040668/the-origins-of-the-chemistry-of-life-in-space) ### [New insights into the origins of the chemistry of life](https://www.mpg.de/26040668/the-origins-of-the-chemistry-of-life-in-space) January 23, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) Astrophysicists discover largest sulfur-containing molecular compound in space [![Detailed view of the solar corona with bright plasma streams and dark areas.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26019123/magnetic-avalanche-on-the-sun) ### [Magnetic avalanche on the Sun](https://www.mpg.de/26019123/magnetic-avalanche-on-the-sun) January 21, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Solar System](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Solar%20System/en) At the end of 2024, ESA’s Solar Orbiter was lucky to witness a strong solar flare – and observed the events leading up to this firework with unprecedented precision. [![Scientific visualisation of a collection of debris discs around stars, shown in many individual views and different orientations. The image shows ring-shaped and disc-like dust structures, some seen face-on as bright rings, others tilted or edge-on as elongated, spindle-shaped features. The discs display irregular brightness patterns, gaps, and asymmetric concentrations, indicating dust and rocky debris in orbit. Colours range from yellow and orange to blue, representing different visualisation methods or physical properties. All objects are arranged in a regular grid on a black background.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25999418/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x) ### [ALMA telescope reveals teenage years of new worlds](https://www.mpg.de/25999418/0113-astr-arks-survey-150980-x) January 20, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) New astronomical survey captures previously unknown growing pains in the lives of planets [![A black circle in the center is surrounded by a faint ring, with bright red-orange curved lines visible on a grey backdrop, indicating light distortion. On the right an enlarged version of the orange-yellow arc with a slight dent in the middle. ](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25518363/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x) ### [Mysterious dark object in space](https://www.mpg.de/25518363/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x) January 14, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) Scientists detect the lowest mass dark object currently measured - an exotic concentration of dark matter? [![Production of green nickel for sustainable electrification](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/25933453/research-highlights-2025) ### [Research highlights 2025](https://www.mpg.de/25933453/research-highlights-2025) December 22, 2025 [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Artificial%20Intelligence/en) [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Brain](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Brain/en) [Climate](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Climate/en) [Democracy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Democracy/en) [Developmental Biology](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Developmental%20Biology/en) [Ecology (E\&C)](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Ecology%20\(E&C\)/en) [Energy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Energy/en) [Galaxies](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Galaxies/en) [Genetics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Genetics/en) [Immunobiology](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Immunobiology/en) [Materials Sciences (M\&T)](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Materials%20Sciences%20\(M&T\)/en) [Mathematics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Mathematics/en) [Medicine](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Medicine/en) [Microbiology (E\&C)](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Microbiology%20\(E&C\)/en) [Social Sciences](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Social%20Sciences/en) A look back at a year of research with many highlights [![Dark background, bright circular structures with labels for WISPIT2b and WISPIT2c.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26293928/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x) ### [Rare discovery of two protoplanets](https://www.mpg.de/26293928/0323-ext0-news20260324-151510-x) March 27, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) A cosmic laboratory for planet formation in the WISPIT-2 System [![Artist's impression of a pair of black holes against a starry background. A bright blue ring can be seen around the pair, glowing red at the top and bottom.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26071110/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x) ### [New method could reveal hidden supermassive black hole binaries](https://www.mpg.de/26071110/0129-grav-new-method-could-reveal-hidden-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-152520-x) February 12, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Black Holes](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Black%20Holes/en) [Gravitational Waves](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Gravitational%20Waves/en) Bright flashes of lensed starlight guide the way [![Numerous galaxies are visible as partially blurred bright spots. They have different shapes and sizes. Gas is visible as orange streaks that appear to move in curved paths.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26119786/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe) ### [How giant galaxies could form just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang](https://www.mpg.de/26119786/forming-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe) February 10, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Galaxies](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Galaxies/en) New radio observations of molecular gas reveal how dozens of galaxies rapidly merge together in the early universe. [![Person in dark clothing with crossed arms, casting shadow on wall: the Ugandan astronomer Geoffrey Andama.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26100748/geoffrey-andama) ### [“The best science thrives in community”](https://www.mpg.de/26100748/geoffrey-andama) February 10, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) Geoffrey Andama was a mentee in the first round of the ARTEMIS program in 2023. Since September 2025, he has headed the Max Planck-Humboldt Research Unit at Muni University in Uganda. The new unit is dedicated to developing astrophysics and astronomy across Africa. In this interview, Andama talks about his path into science, the role of mentoring, and his vision for astronomy on the continent. [![Galaxy M82: A strand of white light including bright points and areas going from the left to the right side of the image, in the darkness of the universe](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20width%3D%221%22%20height%3D%221%22%3E%3C/svg%3E)](https://www.mpg.de/26102988/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle) ### [Cosmic investigations: where does the cosmic particle with the second-highest energy ever measured come from?](https://www.mpg.de/26102988/tracing-the-origin-of-the-astrophysical-particle) February 06, 2026 [Astronomy](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astronomy/en) [Astrophysics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Astrophysics/en) [Particle Physics](https://www.mpg.de/newsroom/Particle%20Physics/en) The cosmic particle that struck earth in 2021 with the second-highest energy ever measured may have originated in the nearby galaxy m82 [![The galaxy Messier 87 is visible in the center of the image as a bright diffuse spot. A narrow bluish beam emanates from its center, which fans out slightly with increasing distance. This is the jet. The background is black. 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Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO/C. Malin View of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe. © EHT Collaboration A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system. © NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope. © APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO/C. Malin View of a mass monster: this image is the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. This particularly massive specimen is at the centre of the massive galaxy Messier 87 and was recorded with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a network of eight ground-based radio telescopes distributed around the globe. © EHT Collaboration A giant in the sky: the giant galaxy Messier 87 was the target of the observation campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope. The jet visible in this optical image apparently emanates from the supermassive black hole in the center of the elliptical stellar system. © NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Worldwide network: Eight radio telescopes at six locations were involved in the measurements for the Event Horizon Telescope. © APEX, IRAM, G. Narayanan, J. McMahon, JCMT/JAC, S. Hostler, D. Harvey, ESO/C. Malin Next Esc
Readable Markdown	Max Planck researchers involved in direct observation of the massive gravity trap in the Messier 87 galaxy Black holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation. Black holes swallow all light and are therefore invisible. What sounds plausible is fortunately a little different in practice for astronomers. Because black holes are surrounded by shining gas discs and therefore stand out from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a white sofa. In this way, the Event Horizon Telescope has now succeeded for the first time in photographing a black hole. This worldwide network of eight ground-based radio telescopes focused on the galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light years away. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimetre Range (IRAM) are also involved in the observation. In April 2017, the scientists linked eight telescopes around the globe for the first time, thus forming a virtual telescope with an aperture almost as large as the diameter of the Earth. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is the name of this technique, in which the signals of the individual antennas are superimposed. This synchronization takes place with the aid of high-precision atomic clocks accurate to the nanosecond. An extreme angular resolution of less than 20 micro arc seconds can be achieved; if our eyes had such a power, we could see the individual molecules in our hands. The network of this so-called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) included the 30-meter IRAM mirror in Spain and the APEX telescope in Chile, in which the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is involved. In 2017 alone, the telescopes recorded a total of about four petabytes of data - such a large amount that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than sending the data via the Internet. The measurement data were calibrated and evaluated at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator. "For the first time, the results give us a clear view of a supermassive black hole and mark an important milestone in our understanding of the fundamental processes that determine the formation and evolution of galaxies in the universe," says Anton Zensus, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and Chairman of the EHT Collaboration Council. Zensus said it was remarkable that in this project astronomical observations and theoretical interpretations led faster than expected to the expected result. According to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, the success is based on "decades of European expertise" in millimeter astronomy. "As early as the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our institute with its two observatories demonstrated both technically and scientifically that we have a unique method with high-resolution radio observations to analyze the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. IRAM, an institution co-financed by the Max Planck Society, actively participated in the campaign with its 30-meter telescope. With its location in Europe and its extraordinary sensitivity, this telescope played a decisive role in the success of EHT observation. The heart of the supermassive galaxy M 87 has two special characteristics that make it a suitable candidate for the project: Thanks to its unusual size and its relative proximity to Earth, it is easily visible, making it a perfect object of study for astronomers, who, with the global telescope network, finally have an instrument to observe such an exotic object directly. The regions around supermassive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions we know of in space. Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that comprise an incredible total mass within a tiny area of space. Their mass and thus their gravitational pull are so large that even light cannot escape them. Therefore they remain black - and it is impossible to perceive them directly. The only way to see black holes is to reproduce their "shadow". This is caused by the extremely strong diffraction of the light - just before it irrevocably disappears into the black hole. High-resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow astronomers to penetrate to the edges of black holes, undisturbed from dense dust and gas clouds. The image now published was obtained at a wavelength of 1.3 millimetres and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure with a dark central region - the shadow of the black hole. Around this very massive and compact object, a hot gas plasma moves at high speeds. The ring-shaped structure on the image is nothing other than the strongly heated matter around the mass monster, whose light is deflected and amplified by itself like a lens. After a journey of around 55 million light years, it meets the telescopes of the EHT network. The place of origin, M 87, is an elliptical giant galaxy near the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Charles Messier entered the object in his catalogue in 1781 under number 87. The galaxy is also known as a strong radio source called Virgo A and is very active. A jet of matter at least 5000 light years long shoots from its core, which is accelerated in the accretion disk of the black hole in the center and flows out in the form of a strongly bundled beam perpendicular to this disk at high speed. The shadow tells researchers a lot about the nature of the central machinery and allows them to accurately determine the enormous total mass of the black hole of M 87. It is about 6.5 billion solar masses. This value corresponds well with that obtained from other observations. "For many decades, we were only able to indirectly detect black holes," says Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Then, a few years ago, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time and made the effects of black holes on space-time audible when they merged. "Now we can finally see them and have the opportunity to study these exotic objects and their extreme space-time curvature with all their fascination in a unique way," says the scientist, one of the main people responsible for the BlackHoleCam project as part of the EHT with its approximately 200 researchers. The observations continue. Since the end of 2018 NOEMA, the second IRAM observatory in the French Alps, has also been part of the worldwide network. With its twelve highly sensitive antennas, NOEMA will be the EHT's most powerful telescope in the northern hemisphere. "Thanks to NOEMA, we will enter a new sensitivity range and gain even more fascinating insights," says Karl Schuster. For Anton Census, this success means a break in astronomy. "In the future, researchers will clearly remember a time before and after this discovery far beyond our field of work," says the Max Planck Director. In his opinion, astronomers will better understand the galactic centers and gain a complete picture of the formation and evolution of active galaxies. In addition, the general theory of relativity will be put through its paces. "Black holes are an ideal laboratory for measurements under strong gravity."
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