🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 70 (from laksa053)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa070.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.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope","crawl_time":1776298531,"first_indexed_time":1616594626,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,sciencenews!www,\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope s443","src_root_hash":"11628747150769427070","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"A new black hole image reveals the behemoth’s magnetic fields","meta_descriptions":["A new analysis of Event Horizon Telescope data from 2017 brings to light the magnetic fields twisted around the black hole at the core of galaxy M87."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Event Horizon Telescope data show the orientation of light emitted near M87’s black hole\nA new Event Horizon Telescope image of the galaxy M87’s black hole (pictured) traces the polarization (bright lines), or orientation, of light waves emitted by material swirling around the black hole. That polarization is related to the black hole’s magnetic fields.\nEHT collaboration\nAstronomers have gotten their first glimpse of the magnetic fields tangled around a black hole.\nThe Event Horizon Telescope has unveiled\nthe magnetism of the hot, glowing gas\naround the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, researchers report in two studies published online March 24 in the\nAstrophysical Journal Letters\n. These magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in how the black hole scarfs down matter and\nlaunches powerful plasma jets\nthousands of light-years into space (\nSN: 3\/29\/19\n).\n“We’ve known for decades that jets are in some sense powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and that the in-spiraling gas and the outflowing plasma are highly magnetized — but there was a lot of uncertainty in the exact details,” says Eileen Meyer, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County not involved in the work. “The magnetic field structure of the plasma near the event horizon [of a black hole] is a completely new piece of information.”\nThe supermassive black hole inside M87 was the\nfirst black hole to get its picture taken\n(\nSN: 4\/10\/19\n). That image showed the black hole’s shadow against its accretion disk — the bright eddy of superhot gas spiraling around the black hole’s dark center. It was created using observations taken in April 2017 by a global network of observatories, which collectively\nform one virtual, Earth-sized radio dish\ncalled the Event Horizon Telescope (\nSN: 4\/10\/19\n).\nUsing data from 2017, scientists created the first real picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. How? We explain.\nThe new analysis uses the same observations. But unlike the black hole’s initial portrait, the new image accounts for the polarization of the light waves emitted by gas around the black hole. Polarization measures a light wave’s orientation — whether it wiggles up and down, left and right or at an angle — and can be affected by the magnetic field where the light originated. So, by\nmapping the polarization of light\naround the edge of M87’s black hole, researchers were able to trace the structure of the underlying magnetic fields.\nThe team found evidence that some magnetic fields loop around the black hole along with the disk of material swirling into it. That’s to be expected because “when gas is rotating, it’s basically able to carry along the magnetic field with it,” says Jason Dexter, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder.\nBut, he says, “there’s some interesting component of this magnetic field which is not just following the motion of the gas.” At least some of the magnetic field lines are sticking up or down perpendicularly from the accretion disk, or pointing directly toward or away from the black hole, Dexter and colleagues found. These magnetic fields must be very strong to resist being dragged around by the whirl of infalling gas, he says.\nSuch strong magnetic fields may actually push back against some of the material spiraling in toward the black hole, helping it resist gravity’s pull, says study coauthor Monika Mościbrodzka, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Magnetic fields pointed up and down from the accretion disk could also help launch the black hole’s plasma jets, by channeling material toward the black hole’s poles and giving it a boost in speed, she says.\nSign up for our newsletter\nWe summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.\nMore Stories from Science News on\nAstronomy","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope#content)\n\n**Subscribe today**\n\nEvery print subscription comes with full digital access\n\n[Subscribe Now](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/subscribe1?key=9MNAVBNA&utm_source=banner&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=full_digital_access)\n\nMenu\n\n- [All Topics](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/topics\/)\n  - [Health](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/topic\/health-medicine)\n  - [Humans](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/topic\/humans)\n    - [Anthropology](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/topic\/anthropology)\n    - [Health & Medicine](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/topic\/health-medicine)\n    - 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That polarization is related to the black hole’s magnetic fields.\n\nEHT collaboration\n\nBy [Maria Temming](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/author\/maria-temming \"Posts by Maria Temming\")\n\nMarch 24, 2021 at 10:00 am - More than **2 years ago**\n\n## Share this:\n- [Share](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope)\n\n- [Share via email (Opens in new window) Email](mailto:?subject=A%20new%20black%20hole%20image%20reveals%20the%20behemoth%E2%80%99s%20magnetic%20fields&body=I%20saw%20this%20on%20Science%20News%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencenews.org%2Farticle%2Fblack-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope%3Futm_source%3Dinternal%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Demail_share)\n- [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope?share=facebook)\n- [Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope?share=reddit)\n- [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope?share=twitter)\n- [Print (Opens in new window) Print](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope#print?share=print)\n\nAstronomers have gotten their first glimpse of the magnetic fields tangled around a black hole.\n\nThe Event Horizon Telescope has unveiled [the magnetism of the hot, glowing gas](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe4de) around the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, researchers report in two studies published online March 24 in the *Astrophysical Journal Letters*. These magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in how the black hole scarfs down matter and [launches powerful plasma jets](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/event-horizon-telescope-first-image-black-hole-questions) thousands of light-years into space (*SN: 3\/29\/19*).\n\n“We’ve known for decades that jets are in some sense powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and that the in-spiraling gas and the outflowing plasma are highly magnetized — but there was a lot of uncertainty in the exact details,” says Eileen Meyer, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County not involved in the work. “The magnetic field structure of the plasma near the event horizon \\[of a black hole\\] is a completely new piece of information.”\n\nThe supermassive black hole inside M87 was the [first black hole to get its picture taken](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope) (*SN: 4\/10\/19*). That image showed the black hole’s shadow against its accretion disk — the bright eddy of superhot gas spiraling around the black hole’s dark center. It was created using observations taken in April 2017 by a global network of observatories, which collectively [form one virtual, Earth-sized radio dish](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/event-horizon-telescope-black-hole-picture) called the Event Horizon Telescope (*SN: 4\/10\/19*).\n\nUsing data from 2017, scientists created the first real picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. How? We explain.\n\nThe new analysis uses the same observations. But unlike the black hole’s initial portrait, the new image accounts for the polarization of the light waves emitted by gas around the black hole. Polarization measures a light wave’s orientation — whether it wiggles up and down, left and right or at an angle — and can be affected by the magnetic field where the light originated. So, by [mapping the polarization of light](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe71d) around the edge of M87’s black hole, researchers were able to trace the structure of the underlying magnetic fields.\n\nThe team found evidence that some magnetic fields loop around the black hole along with the disk of material swirling into it. That’s to be expected because “when gas is rotating, it’s basically able to carry along the magnetic field with it,” says Jason Dexter, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder.\n\nBut, he says, “there’s some interesting component of this magnetic field which is not just following the motion of the gas.” At least some of the magnetic field lines are sticking up or down perpendicularly from the accretion disk, or pointing directly toward or away from the black hole, Dexter and colleagues found. These magnetic fields must be very strong to resist being dragged around by the whirl of infalling gas, he says.\n\nSuch strong magnetic fields may actually push back against some of the material spiraling in toward the black hole, helping it resist gravity’s pull, says study coauthor Monika Mościbrodzka, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Magnetic fields pointed up and down from the accretion disk could also help launch the black hole’s plasma jets, by channeling material toward the black hole’s poles and giving it a boost in speed, she says.\n\n### Sign up for our newsletter\nWe summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.\n\nQuestions or comments on this article? E-mail us at [feedback@sciencenews.org](mailto:feedback@sciencenews.org) \\| [Reprints FAQ](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/permission-republish)\n\nA version of this article appears in the [April 24, 2021](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/sn-magazine\/april-24-2021) issue of Science News.\n\n### Citations\nK. Akiyama *et al*. [First M87 Event Horizon Telescope results VII: polarization of the ring](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe71d). *Astrophysical Journal Letters*. Published online March 24, 2021. doi: 10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe71d.\n\nK. Akiyama *et al*. [First M87 Event Horizon Telescope results VIII: magnetic field structure near the event horizon](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe4de). *Astrophysical Journal Letters*. Published online March 24, 2021. doi: 10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe4de.\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/m_temming_new.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/author\/maria-temming)\n\n### About [Maria Temming](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/author\/maria-temming \"Posts by Maria Temming\")\n- [E-mail](mailto:mtemming@sciencenews.org)\n- [X](https:\/\/x.com\/TemmingMaria)\n\nPreviously the staff writer for physical sciences at *Science News*, Maria Temming is the assistant managing editor at *Science News Explores*. She has bachelor's degrees in physics and English, and a master's in science writing.\n\nWe are at a critical time and ***supporting science journalism is more important than ever***. 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Disable any privacy or tracking protection extensions such as Firefox Enhanced Tracking Protection or DuckDuckGo Privacy.\n\nIf the prompt is still appearing, please disable any tools or services you are using that block internet ads (e.g. DNS Servers, tracking protection or privacy extensions).\n\nGo Back","attrs_readable_markdown":"Event Horizon Telescope data show the orientation of light emitted near M87’s black hole\n\n![M87's black hole with polarization of light waves](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/032321_mt_black-hole-magnetism_feat.jpg?w=1030)\n\nA new Event Horizon Telescope image of the galaxy M87’s black hole (pictured) traces the polarization (bright lines), or orientation, of light waves emitted by material swirling around the black hole. That polarization is related to the black hole’s magnetic fields.\n\nEHT collaboration\n\nAstronomers have gotten their first glimpse of the magnetic fields tangled around a black hole.\n\nThe Event Horizon Telescope has unveiled [the magnetism of the hot, glowing gas](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe4de) around the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, researchers report in two studies published online March 24 in the *Astrophysical Journal Letters*. These magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in how the black hole scarfs down matter and [launches powerful plasma jets](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/event-horizon-telescope-first-image-black-hole-questions) thousands of light-years into space (*SN: 3\/29\/19*).\n\n“We’ve known for decades that jets are in some sense powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and that the in-spiraling gas and the outflowing plasma are highly magnetized — but there was a lot of uncertainty in the exact details,” says Eileen Meyer, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County not involved in the work. “The magnetic field structure of the plasma near the event horizon \\[of a black hole\\] is a completely new piece of information.”\n\nThe supermassive black hole inside M87 was the [first black hole to get its picture taken](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope) (*SN: 4\/10\/19*). That image showed the black hole’s shadow against its accretion disk — the bright eddy of superhot gas spiraling around the black hole’s dark center. It was created using observations taken in April 2017 by a global network of observatories, which collectively [form one virtual, Earth-sized radio dish](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/event-horizon-telescope-black-hole-picture) called the Event Horizon Telescope (*SN: 4\/10\/19*).\n\nUsing data from 2017, scientists created the first real picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. How? We explain.\n\nThe new analysis uses the same observations. But unlike the black hole’s initial portrait, the new image accounts for the polarization of the light waves emitted by gas around the black hole. Polarization measures a light wave’s orientation — whether it wiggles up and down, left and right or at an angle — and can be affected by the magnetic field where the light originated. So, by [mapping the polarization of light](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/abe71d) around the edge of M87’s black hole, researchers were able to trace the structure of the underlying magnetic fields.\n\nThe team found evidence that some magnetic fields loop around the black hole along with the disk of material swirling into it. That’s to be expected because “when gas is rotating, it’s basically able to carry along the magnetic field with it,” says Jason Dexter, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder.\n\nBut, he says, “there’s some interesting component of this magnetic field which is not just following the motion of the gas.” At least some of the magnetic field lines are sticking up or down perpendicularly from the accretion disk, or pointing directly toward or away from the black hole, Dexter and colleagues found. These magnetic fields must be very strong to resist being dragged around by the whirl of infalling gas, he says.\n\nSuch strong magnetic fields may actually push back against some of the material spiraling in toward the black hole, helping it resist gravity’s pull, says study coauthor Monika Mościbrodzka, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Magnetic fields pointed up and down from the accretion disk could also help launch the black hole’s plasma jets, by channeling material toward the black hole’s poles and giving it a boost in speed, she says.\n\nSign up for our newsletter\n\nWe summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.\n## More Stories from Science News on [Astronomy](https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/topic\/astronomy)","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope
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Meta Title	A new black hole image reveals the behemoth’s magnetic fields
Meta Description	A new analysis of Event Horizon Telescope data from 2017 brings to light the magnetic fields twisted around the black hole at the core of galaxy M87.
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Boilerpipe Text	Event Horizon Telescope data show the orientation of light emitted near M87’s black hole A new Event Horizon Telescope image of the galaxy M87’s black hole (pictured) traces the polarization (bright lines), or orientation, of light waves emitted by material swirling around the black hole. That polarization is related to the black hole’s magnetic fields. EHT collaboration Astronomers have gotten their first glimpse of the magnetic fields tangled around a black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope has unveiled the magnetism of the hot, glowing gas around the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, researchers report in two studies published online March 24 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters . These magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in how the black hole scarfs down matter and launches powerful plasma jets thousands of light-years into space ( SN: 3/29/19 ). “We’ve known for decades that jets are in some sense powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and that the in-spiraling gas and the outflowing plasma are highly magnetized — but there was a lot of uncertainty in the exact details,” says Eileen Meyer, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County not involved in the work. “The magnetic field structure of the plasma near the event horizon [of a black hole] is a completely new piece of information.” The supermassive black hole inside M87 was the first black hole to get its picture taken ( SN: 4/10/19 ). That image showed the black hole’s shadow against its accretion disk — the bright eddy of superhot gas spiraling around the black hole’s dark center. It was created using observations taken in April 2017 by a global network of observatories, which collectively form one virtual, Earth-sized radio dish called the Event Horizon Telescope ( SN: 4/10/19 ). Using data from 2017, scientists created the first real picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. How? We explain. The new analysis uses the same observations. But unlike the black hole’s initial portrait, the new image accounts for the polarization of the light waves emitted by gas around the black hole. Polarization measures a light wave’s orientation — whether it wiggles up and down, left and right or at an angle — and can be affected by the magnetic field where the light originated. So, by mapping the polarization of light around the edge of M87’s black hole, researchers were able to trace the structure of the underlying magnetic fields. The team found evidence that some magnetic fields loop around the black hole along with the disk of material swirling into it. That’s to be expected because “when gas is rotating, it’s basically able to carry along the magnetic field with it,” says Jason Dexter, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder. But, he says, “there’s some interesting component of this magnetic field which is not just following the motion of the gas.” At least some of the magnetic field lines are sticking up or down perpendicularly from the accretion disk, or pointing directly toward or away from the black hole, Dexter and colleagues found. These magnetic fields must be very strong to resist being dragged around by the whirl of infalling gas, he says. Such strong magnetic fields may actually push back against some of the material spiraling in toward the black hole, helping it resist gravity’s pull, says study coauthor Monika Mościbrodzka, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Magnetic fields pointed up and down from the accretion disk could also help launch the black hole’s plasma jets, by channeling material toward the black hole’s poles and giving it a boost in speed, she says. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. More Stories from Science News on Astronomy
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That polarization is related to the black hole’s magnetic fields. EHT collaboration By [Maria Temming](https://www.sciencenews.org/author/maria-temming "Posts by Maria Temming") March 24, 2021 at 10:00 am - More than 2 years ago ## Share this: - [Share](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope) - [Share via email (Opens in new window) Email](mailto:?subject=A%20new%20black%20hole%20image%20reveals%20the%20behemoth%E2%80%99s%20magnetic%20fields&body=I%20saw%20this%20on%20Science%20News%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencenews.org%2Farticle%2Fblack-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope%3Futm_source%3Dinternal%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Demail_share) - [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope?share=facebook) - [Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope?share=reddit) - [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope?share=twitter) - [Print (Opens in new window) Print](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-picture-magnetic-fields-event-horizon-telescope#print?share=print) Astronomers have gotten their first glimpse of the magnetic fields tangled around a black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope has unveiled [the magnetism of the hot, glowing gas](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abe4de) around the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, researchers report in two studies published online March 24 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. These magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in how the black hole scarfs down matter and [launches powerful plasma jets](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/event-horizon-telescope-first-image-black-hole-questions) thousands of light-years into space (SN: 3/29/19). “We’ve known for decades that jets are in some sense powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and that the in-spiraling gas and the outflowing plasma are highly magnetized — but there was a lot of uncertainty in the exact details,” says Eileen Meyer, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County not involved in the work. “The magnetic field structure of the plasma near the event horizon \[of a black hole\] is a completely new piece of information.” The supermassive black hole inside M87 was the [first black hole to get its picture taken](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope) (SN: 4/10/19). That image showed the black hole’s shadow against its accretion disk — the bright eddy of superhot gas spiraling around the black hole’s dark center. It was created using observations taken in April 2017 by a global network of observatories, which collectively [form one virtual, Earth-sized radio dish](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/event-horizon-telescope-black-hole-picture) called the Event Horizon Telescope (SN: 4/10/19). Using data from 2017, scientists created the first real picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. How? We explain. The new analysis uses the same observations. But unlike the black hole’s initial portrait, the new image accounts for the polarization of the light waves emitted by gas around the black hole. Polarization measures a light wave’s orientation — whether it wiggles up and down, left and right or at an angle — and can be affected by the magnetic field where the light originated. So, by [mapping the polarization of light](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d) around the edge of M87’s black hole, researchers were able to trace the structure of the underlying magnetic fields. The team found evidence that some magnetic fields loop around the black hole along with the disk of material swirling into it. That’s to be expected because “when gas is rotating, it’s basically able to carry along the magnetic field with it,” says Jason Dexter, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder. But, he says, “there’s some interesting component of this magnetic field which is not just following the motion of the gas.” At least some of the magnetic field lines are sticking up or down perpendicularly from the accretion disk, or pointing directly toward or away from the black hole, Dexter and colleagues found. These magnetic fields must be very strong to resist being dragged around by the whirl of infalling gas, he says. Such strong magnetic fields may actually push back against some of the material spiraling in toward the black hole, helping it resist gravity’s pull, says study coauthor Monika Mościbrodzka, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Magnetic fields pointed up and down from the accretion disk could also help launch the black hole’s plasma jets, by channeling material toward the black hole’s poles and giving it a boost in speed, she says. ### Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at [feedback@sciencenews.org](mailto:feedback@sciencenews.org) \\| [Reprints FAQ](https://www.sciencenews.org/permission-republish) A version of this article appears in the [April 24, 2021](https://www.sciencenews.org/sn-magazine/april-24-2021) issue of Science News. ### Citations K. Akiyama et al. [First M87 Event Horizon Telescope results VII: polarization of the ring](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d). Astrophysical Journal Letters. Published online March 24, 2021. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d. K. Akiyama et al. [First M87 Event Horizon Telescope results VIII: magnetic field structure near the event horizon](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abe4de). Astrophysical Journal Letters. Published online March 24, 2021. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/abe4de. [![](https://www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/m_temming_new.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https://www.sciencenews.org/author/maria-temming) ### About [Maria Temming](https://www.sciencenews.org/author/maria-temming "Posts by Maria Temming") - [E-mail](mailto:mtemming@sciencenews.org) - [X](https://x.com/TemmingMaria) Previously the staff writer for physical sciences at Science News, Maria Temming is the assistant managing editor at Science News Explores. She has bachelor's degrees in physics and English, and a master's in science writing. We are at a critical time and *supporting science journalism is more important than ever. Science News and our parent organization, the Society for Science, need your help to strengthen scientific literacy and ensure that important societal decisions are made with science in mind. Please [subscribe to Science News and add \$16](https://www.sciencenews.org/subscribe1-print-digital?key=9MENDCON&utm_source=end-of-article&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=non-sub-control) to expand science literacy and understanding. ### Popular Stories 1. 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Readable Markdown	Event Horizon Telescope data show the orientation of light emitted near M87’s black hole ![M87's black hole with polarization of light waves](https://www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/032321_mt_black-hole-magnetism_feat.jpg?w=1030) A new Event Horizon Telescope image of the galaxy M87’s black hole (pictured) traces the polarization (bright lines), or orientation, of light waves emitted by material swirling around the black hole. That polarization is related to the black hole’s magnetic fields. EHT collaboration Astronomers have gotten their first glimpse of the magnetic fields tangled around a black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope has unveiled [the magnetism of the hot, glowing gas](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abe4de) around the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, researchers report in two studies published online March 24 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. These magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in how the black hole scarfs down matter and [launches powerful plasma jets](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/event-horizon-telescope-first-image-black-hole-questions) thousands of light-years into space (SN: 3/29/19). “We’ve known for decades that jets are in some sense powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and that the in-spiraling gas and the outflowing plasma are highly magnetized — but there was a lot of uncertainty in the exact details,” says Eileen Meyer, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County not involved in the work. “The magnetic field structure of the plasma near the event horizon \[of a black hole\] is a completely new piece of information.” The supermassive black hole inside M87 was the [first black hole to get its picture taken](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope) (SN: 4/10/19). That image showed the black hole’s shadow against its accretion disk — the bright eddy of superhot gas spiraling around the black hole’s dark center. It was created using observations taken in April 2017 by a global network of observatories, which collectively [form one virtual, Earth-sized radio dish](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/event-horizon-telescope-black-hole-picture) called the Event Horizon Telescope (SN: 4/10/19). Using data from 2017, scientists created the first real picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. How? We explain. The new analysis uses the same observations. But unlike the black hole’s initial portrait, the new image accounts for the polarization of the light waves emitted by gas around the black hole. Polarization measures a light wave’s orientation — whether it wiggles up and down, left and right or at an angle — and can be affected by the magnetic field where the light originated. So, by [mapping the polarization of light](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d) around the edge of M87’s black hole, researchers were able to trace the structure of the underlying magnetic fields. The team found evidence that some magnetic fields loop around the black hole along with the disk of material swirling into it. That’s to be expected because “when gas is rotating, it’s basically able to carry along the magnetic field with it,” says Jason Dexter, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder. But, he says, “there’s some interesting component of this magnetic field which is not just following the motion of the gas.” At least some of the magnetic field lines are sticking up or down perpendicularly from the accretion disk, or pointing directly toward or away from the black hole, Dexter and colleagues found. These magnetic fields must be very strong to resist being dragged around by the whirl of infalling gas, he says. Such strong magnetic fields may actually push back against some of the material spiraling in toward the black hole, helping it resist gravity’s pull, says study coauthor Monika Mościbrodzka, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Magnetic fields pointed up and down from the accretion disk could also help launch the black hole’s plasma jets, by channeling material toward the black hole’s poles and giving it a boost in speed, she says. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. ## More Stories from Science News on [Astronomy](https://www.sciencenews.org/topic/astronomy)
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