First direct photograph of a black hole

The first direct photograph of a black hole was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, which included contributions from NASA. This groundbreaking achievement marked a pivotal moment in astrophysics, providing visual evidence of the existence of black holes, which had previously been inferred through indirect observations. The black hole photographed is located in the center of the galaxy M87, approximately 55 million light-years from Earth. The image revealed a dark central region, known as the event horizon, surrounded by a bright ring of light, which is the result of gas and dust being heated to extreme temperatures as they spiral into the black hole. This photograph not only confirmed theoretical predictions about black holes but also opened new avenues for research in understanding their formation and behavior in the universe.