Albert Einstein

By Dr. Howard Markel

Scientists have obtained the first image of a black hole, using Event Horizon Telescope observations of the center of the galaxy M87. The image shows a bright ring formed as light bends in the intense gravity around a black hole that is 6.5 billion times more massive than the Sun. This long-sought image provides the strongest evidence to date for the existence of supermassive black holes and opens a new window onto the study of black holes, their event horizons, and gravity. Photo by Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

On Wednesday, the Event Horizon Telescope released the first-ever image of a black hole, a historic moment shared by scientists spread around the world.

By Nsikan Akpan

This is not an actual image of a black hole. This artist’s impression shows the surroundings of a supermassive black hole, typical of that found at the heart of many galaxies. The black hole itself is surrounded by a brilliant accretion disc of very hot, infalling material and, further out, a dusty torus. There are also often high-speed jets of material ejected at the black hole’s poles that can extend huge distances into space. Illustration and caption by European Southern Observatory

WATCH: What does a black hole look like? Scientists reveal the first picture

The Event Horizon Telescope is expected to release the first image of a black hole on Wednesday. In preparation for what might be a momentous day, here’s what you need to know.

By Nsikan Akpan

The collision of two black holes -- a tremendously powerful event that was detected for the first time ever by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO -- is seen in this still image from a computer simulation released in Washington February 11, 2016. The discovery marked the first detection of gravitational waves -- ripples in space and time hypothesized by Albert Einstein a century ago. Photo by REUTERS/The SXS (Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes)/Handout via Reuters

LIGO gravitational wave discoverers win 2017 Nobel Prize in physics

Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne have won the 2017 Nobel Prize for physics for leading the projects that discovered gravitational waves and proved an century-old Einstein theory.

By Nsikan Akpan

Einstein’s theory and ‘bent light’ reveal a way to weigh stars for first time

Rather than expose whether celestial objects need to go on a diet, this new weight scale offers a chance to learn more about the life cycle of stars, including our sun.

By Andrew Wagner

At LA art show, immigrant portraits draw record attendance

By Kelly Whalen and Sarah Hotchkiss, KQED Arts

Immigrants represented in the 158 portraits on view at Walter Maciel Gallery include well-known figures more regularly defined by their contributions to American society than their foreign birthplaces: former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Albert Einstein, Stokely Carmichael, Bela Lugosi,…

The science that shaped 2016

By PBS News Hour

What did 2016 mean for science? Science correspondent Miles O’Brien sits down with William Brangham to discuss some of the more remarkable discoveries, innovations and setbacks this year, including the confirmation of one of Einstein's major predictions, the global outbreak…

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Gravity waves, the sequel. LIGO detects second pair of crashing black holes

By Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American

The second confirmation of ripples in spacetime is announced by astronomers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

What’s the sound of two black holes colliding? Proof that Einstein was right

By PBS News Hour

Gravitational waves -- ripples in the fabric of spacetime -- aren’t just an Einstein theory any more. A team of international scientists announced Thursday that they confirmed the waves’ existence after recording feedback from a black hole collision a billion…

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