mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06We are the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) - the worldwide collaboration that captured humanity’s first image of a black hole.
This feathered visitor recently stopped by the IRAM 30-m telescope to assist with EHT observations.
The bird had gotten lost in the fog and appeared at the control room door- more than 1,500 meters above its usual habitat.
After a brief "internship," it was safely released back into nature the next morning.
Five years ago this week, we released the first polarized image of the black hole in M87*, revealing the structure of magnetic fields at the edge of a black hole.
Just six months ago, new results from 2018 and 2021 showed something incredible- the environment around M87* is evolving.
Ever wanted a black hole in your backyard?
Explore M87* in AR, VR, on camera, or directly in your browser. Adjust the disk, jet, viewing angle, and black hole size to see how these changes affect what we observe.
Try it: https://blackhole.plav.in/
Special thanks to BHI Fellow Sasha Plavin for creating this incredible visual tool!
On set in Sierra Negra, where the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) has been gathering data for the M87 Movie.
Perched in front of Pico de Orizaba, (Mexico’s highest peak and a dormant stratovolcano) the LMT sits in one of the most extreme, high-altitude observing sites on Earth.
#M87MOVIE
Photo Credit: Andrés Valle
Last week, the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration gathered in Seoul, South Korea to explore new horizons (pun intended).
More than 100 scientists, engineers, and students came together to discuss the latest advances in black hole science, instrumentation, and future observations.
Stay tuned; there are exciting results on the horizon! #EHT2026
Now filming on location at the top of the world…
The Greenland Telescope is helping capture the first-ever movie of supermassive black hole Messier 87.
On-site cast (Image #2, L → R): Minchul Kam & Keiichi Asada
Remote observing stations:
-ASIAA
-CfA | Harvard & Smithsonian
Long observing nights have their pros...
A starry night over the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) in the French Alps as the #M87MOVIE campaign unfolds!
Photo credit: M. Berenger, IRAM-NOEMA
Roll camera at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.
Seen here: a maintenance crew working at high altitude with supplemental oxygen, keeping 66 antennas operating as one system.
ALMA is a core site of the Event Horizon Telescope. Every dataset depends on both the global network and the teams on the ground keeping the array operational.
No maintenance crew, no movie.
Now filming: #M87MOVIE
We're happy to announce a newly signed agreement for the construction of the Africa Millimeter Telescope (AMT). This will open great possibilities for astronomy on the African continent and make black hole images even sharper!
The AMT will be situated in Namibia and will be both the first millimeter telescope in Africa and will fill a major gap in the EHT network.
This image shows a digital rendering of the planned antenna design.
Read more here: https://eventhorizontelescope.org/news/2026/03/africa-millimetre-telescope-bring-black-holes-sharper-focus-movies
Snow in Hawaiʻi? That’s showbiz, baby.
On Maunakea, Submillimeter Array (SMA) antennas are rolling for the M87* MOVIE campaign- working through ice, wind, and snow.
Mahalo to our Hawaiʻi colleagues braving the elements!
Photo credit: Leslie Shirkey
#M87MOVIE
Watch one of the telescopes behind the M87 MOVIE campaign in action - the IRAM 30-meter telescope near Pico Veleta in the Sierra Nevada, Spain.
Perched at nearly 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), this snowy peak is one of the many remote sites currently helping capture a movie of a black hole.
📸 Credit: Manuel Castillo
#M87Movie
Lights, camera… submillimeter action.
Image 1: The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea, observing for the M87* MOVIE campaign.
Image 2: The observing team on opening night- running the show behind the scenes.
Cast (L --> R): Geoff Bower, Dan Bintley, Trinity Parascandola, Shaoliang Li, Per Friberg.
#M87MOVIE
📸 Image 1 Credit: Keara J. Carter
From a campaign shot over many nights, this is one take.
This timelapse captures the IRAM 30-m telescope on Pico Veleta during a typical night of EHT observations.
With its large collecting area and wide-angle optics, this telescope is among the most sensitive single dishes in the array, built to detect the faint signals needed to image the black hole in Messier 87.
Now filming: #M87Movie
Video credit: Manuel Castillo-Fraile / IRAM 30m
Soundtrack: “Vanishing Blue” · Tangerine Dream
Eleven telescopes.
Countless scientists, engineers, and operators.
One goal: a movie of the black hole in M87.
The M87 MOVIE campaign is now underway.
Over the coming weeks we’ll share the teams, observatories, and behind-the-scenes work that make this global observing effort possible.
Participating telescopes:
ALMA • APEX • GLT • JCMT• KP12M • KVN • LMT • NOEMA • PV30M • SMA • SMT
Follow along as the campaign unfolds.
#M87Movie
Today we mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by acknowledging the invaluable work of the many women in the EHT - some of them highlighted in this recent conference photo.
Contributions cover all aspects needed to advance our understanding of black holes - from instrumentation and observations to data processing, theory, and analysis.
EHT scientists Sera Markoff & Vincent Fish were recently interviewed on Quirks & Quarks, a Canadian science story broadcast. Listen to the conversation to learn how the EHT is working toward creating videos of black holes!
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/black-hole-video-astronomy-space-science-9.7117478
🔤 EHT A-Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 Y is for Years of Observations
The EHT has observed its targets across multiple years - 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
By comparing these observations, we can begin to track how black holes and their environments evolve over time.
🔤 EHT A-Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 Z is for Zoom
The final letter in our A-Z - with all we have learned, we have the tools to Zoom onto a black hole!
🔤EHT A–Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 T is for Time Variability
Signals from material near a black hole change over minutes, days, and even years.
By tracking this variability, scientists can learn about the extreme physics near black holes, including estimating the size of the surrounding region.
🔤 EHT A-Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 V is for VLBI
VLBI stands for Very Long Baseline Interferometry, connecting radio telescopes around the world to create one Earth-sized telescope.
Our favorite observational technique, this enables us to resolve the shadow of a black hole.
🔤 EHT A-Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 U is for Universe
The observable universe contains trillions of galaxies, most thought to host a supermassive black hole.
Only a few are accessible to the EHT. So far, Sagittarius A* and M87* are the only black holes where we’ve resolved the shadow itself.
🔤 EHT A-Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 W is for Water Vapor
While Earth's atmosphere is crucial for our survival, water vapor within it absorbs some of the signal we want to analyze from black holes.
That’s why we build our radio telescopes in high, dry places- typically on tall mountains where the air is thin and the skies are clear.
🔤 EHT A-Z
We’re breaking down the science behind the Event Horizon Telescope - one letter at a time.
📡 X is for X-ray Emission
Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at our galaxy’s center, emits X-rays. Astronomers often observe X-ray flares when the emission suddenly brightens.
Learn more in this video from the Chandra Observatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPWq4x92vI
The EHT Collaboration recognizes outstanding contributions through the 6th Annual EHT Early Career & Outstanding PhD Awards.
Featured here are two 2025 Outstanding PhD Theses recipients: Marianna Foschi and Rohan Dahale. Congrats to all!
The EHT Collaboration recognizes outstanding contributions through the 6th Annual EHT Early Career & Outstanding PhD Awards.
Featured here are two 2025 Outstanding PhD Theses recipients: Dominic Chang and Aristomenis Yfantis. Congrats to all!
Want to help expand black hole imaging into space?
The Black Hole Explorers (BHEX) program is now accepting applications from undergraduate students interested in astronomy, astrophysics, physics, computer science, machine learning, or engineering.
Be sure to apply by February 15th, 2026!
https://www.blackholeexplorer.org/internships