SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: In 2018, we will see a black hole for the first time ever

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: In 2018, we will see a black hole for the first time ever

We’re about to see — for the very first time — the event horizon of a black hole, proving beyond any last vestige of doubt that Einstein’s interstellar monsters are real. And here’s what it will look like.  While astronomers have long seen the fallout of the presence of black holes on the stars and gas clouds around them, none have ever actually stared directly into its abyss. But they’re hoping to, soon.  What we’re expecting to see in 2018 is the silhouette of the disc of the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy, burned starkly against a background of superheated plasma being tossed about its enormous maw. “One of the really nice things about this is taking an image of black hole event horizon has been beyond our reach for so long that it’s been a pleasant surprise to build upon these existing technologies and capture an image so soon,” says Monash University astrophysicist Professor Michael Brown. READ MORE