evidenceobservational
The Event Horizon Telescope has directly imaged the shadow of the event horizon around supermassive black holes.
95% confidence
In 2019, astronomers using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) captured the first-ever image of the dark shadow cast by the event horizon of the supermassive black hole in the galaxy M87. This shadow appears as a bright asymmetric ring of glowing plasma surrounding the dark silhouette where the event horizon blocks light. These observations confirm predictions from Einstein’s general relativity and provide direct evidence of the event horizon’s existence. Similar observations of Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of our Milky Way, also show a ring-like structure consistent with an event horizon.
Sources
First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. I. The Shadow of the Supermassive Black Hole
The Astrophysical Journal Letters · 2019
First Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Telescope Results. I. The Shadow of the Supermassive Black Hole in the Center of the Milky Way
The Astrophysical Journal Letters · 2022
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