A major study led by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has advanced our understanding of the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87 (M87*). Using data from 2017 and 2018, researchers analyzed turbulence in the accretion flow around this black hole. Their findings, published in *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, reveal how gas moving toward a spinning black hole can align or oppose its rotation, influencing observed shadow shifts. The EHT team used synthetic data sets three times larger than previous analyses to model these dynamics more accurately. New insights into the accretion flow near M87*’s event horizon suggest it evolves in ways previously unaccounted for, offering clues about black hole environment variability. These discoveries complement findings from other telescopes like GMVA, emphasizing the importance of global collaborations and advanced technology in studying such cosmic phenomena.
More information: The persistent shadow of the supermassive black hole of M87, *Astronomy & Astrophysics* (2025). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202451296
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-m87-black-hole-turbulent-accretion.html