APOD: 2020 August 25 – Visualization: A Black Hole Accretion Disk

Good morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "Visualization: A Black Hole Accretion Disk." The video clip is only 15 seconds long, so I suggest you read the text highlights before playing. What makes all this science possible is the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). The EHT is an international collaboration that has formed to continue the steady long-term progress on improving the capability of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at short wavelengths in pursuit of this goal.

What is interferometry? It is a family of techniques in which waves, usually electromagnetic waves, are superimposed, causing the phenomenon of interference, which is used to extract information. By linking radio telescope dishes across the globe to create an Earth-sized interferometer, astronomers are able to combine signals from two or more separate telescopes that comprise the EHT. This approach offers an image resolution equivalent to that of a telescope of diameter equal to the largest separation between the participating EHT locations. And a better glimpse into the forces of creation.