In a paper published in Nature (paywalled), astronomers have, for the first time been able to discern x-ray echos that came from behind a supermassive black hole. It is the first direct observation of light bending all the way around a black hole and into our line of sight. The finding is further confirmation of general relativity, showing that the predictions hold even around extreme objects like supermassive black holes.
Coverage on Space.com, and Science Daily
A non-paywalled copy of the paper can be found here.
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X-rays Observed from Behind a Black Hole
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 03 2021, @12:56PM (3 children)
X-rays pass through objects, no around.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 03 2021, @02:38PM
That's the point. These x-rays are being reflected by the black hole instead of just passing through.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Tuesday August 03 2021, @05:00PM (1 child)
If X-rays try to pass through a black hole can they must cross the event horizon. Nothing escapes the event horizon. Not even X-rays.
So the X-rays must have bent around the hole.
Once X-rays cross the event horizon, they are eventually absorbed by the amoeba at the center of the black hole.
Inside the black hole is protoplasm. Mr. Spock was able to use [wikipedia.org] a shuttle craft to destroy the amoeba at the center just as it was about to reproduce. The resulting explosion ruptured the black hole and returned the Enterprise to normal space. Thank goodfulness.
People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 03 2021, @07:28PM
But these x-rays passed through the black hole, since they were located behind it. It would be very interesting to put some x-ray sensitive film in front so we could see what's inside a black hole.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 03 2021, @02:40PM (1 child)
That must require very sensitive instruments to pick up because only a small fraction of the light would get sent our way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 03 2021, @08:54PM
That is true for all stellar objects.
(Score: 2) by corey on Tuesday August 03 2021, @10:34PM (1 child)
> It is the first direct observation of light bending all the way around a black hole and into our line of sight.
Maybe I’m being pedantic but it’s electromagnetic waves/energy, not light?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 04 2021, @04:47PM
umm, err, here just read this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 04 2021, @12:14AM
By the way, I've never been a fan of writing an abstract with reference notes in it. It should stand on its own.
(Score: 2) by jb on Wednesday August 04 2021, @04:33AM (1 child)
Really, behind one?
Given that a black hole looks just, well, black, from pretty much any angle, how can you tell if you're observing from behind it or from in front of it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 04 2021, @11:28AM
It is briefly mentioned in the abstract, reposted in these comments, and goes into much more depth in the paper.