ISTANBUL
An international collaboration of astronomers has released new, detailed images of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87, revealing a dynamic environment with changing polarization patterns.
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, which includes researchers from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, published the new images and their findings in the latest issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Xinhua News reported on Monday.
The black hole, located about 55 million light-years from Earth, was first photographed in 2017, with images released in 2019, marking humanity’s first “sight” of a black hole.
In subsequent observations in 2018 and 2021, researchers observed significant changes in the black hole’s magnetic fields. Initially, in 2017, the magnetic fields spiraled in one direction; by 2018, they settled, and by 2021, they had reversed, spiraling in the opposite direction.
These shifts suggest a turbulent environment where magnetic fields govern how matter falls into the black hole and how energy is expelled.
Additionally, the team identified the first signs of extended jet emissions near the black hole’s jet base, linking it to the surrounding ring of M87.
Jets like M87’s play a key role in galaxy evolution, influencing star formation and energy distribution. M87’s powerful jet offers a unique opportunity to study these cosmic phenomena and their formation.
