Daily News Lesson

SHOW ALL

May 17, 2022, 1:26 p.m.

'Selfie' of our galaxy’s black hole marks new era in space science

Summary

For decades scientists have believed there is a black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. For the first time this week, they released an astonishing image of it, about 27,000 light years away from Earth. An international collaboration of scientists and telescopes made the discovery. Black holes were theorized by Albert Einstein in his Theory of Relativity in 1916, now slightly over a century later, we have photographs of one in our own galaxy. Miles O'Brien explores some of the mysteries surrounding the black hole. For the transcript of this piece, click here .

Five Facts

  • Who are the Event Horizon Telescope photographers involved in exploring our galaxy's black hole?
  • What does this mean for future exploration of our galaxy?
  • Where and When will the next black hole be photographed or even video recorded?
  • Why is this so significant to scientists?
  • How might this affect the future of black hole research?

Focus Questions

What do you think should be the next step for space scientists after this discovery? Media literacy : In the segment, Judy Woodruff said, "And for the scientists, Miles, what makes this so important, so fascinating to them? I mean, do we worry about Earth getting sucked into this black hole? No, we're in a safe neighborhood. Don't worry about that one," responded O'Brien. That question was likely on a lot of people's minds! What questions do you have for O'Brien--no matter how far out (in space) they might be?

For More


Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning. Zachary Vogel, an intern from Alexandria City High School in Alexandria, Virginia, and a rising freshman at Ithaca College, wrote today's Daily News Lesson with editing by Vic Pasquantonio.

Recent Daily News Lessons

survivorstories-e1790107633355-1

Daily News Lesson

Graphic novel shares stories of Hurricane Helene survivors

Learn about survivors and their experience with Hurricane Helene through a graphic novel

vote-2

Daily News Lesson

Monitoring the Midterms: How Trump's low approval rating may impact midterms

Discuss how the president's sinking popularity may determine control of the House and Senate

Ken Paxton James Talarico Texas primary

Daily News Lesson

Monitoring the Midterms: What's making the Texas Senate race so competitive

Data centers, gas prices and the economy are some of the issues on Texans' minds this election season

US President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office

Daily News Lesson

Trump says he's banning 3 outlets from White House in his latest attack on press freedom

Discuss the banning of news outlets and how that violates the First Amendment

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

PBS News Hour Classroom

Copyright © 2025 News Hour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward