---
title: "Astronomers Are Teasing the First-Ever Photo of a Black Hole"
description: "Scientists are likely preparing to release the first-ever photo of a black hole, specifically, the one at the center of the Milky Way galaxy."
date: "2019-04-01"
modified: "2019-04-01"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronomers-teasing-first-ever-black-hole-photo"
categories:
  - "Astrophysics"
  - "Black Holes"
  - "Science & Energy"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "black hole"
  - "event horizon"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# Astronomers Are Teasing the First-Ever Photo of a Black Hole

![The goal is to look past the space debris to see its event horizon.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/astronomers-teasing-first-ever-black-hole-photo.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Event Horizon

The international team behind the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project is gearing up for a huge announcement next week — and according to *ScienceAlert*'s [analysis](<https://www.sciencealert.com/the-event-horizon-telescope-is-about-to-make-a-hyuuuuge-announcement>), it's likely to be the first-ever photo of a black hole's event horizon.

If that prediction is correct, the April 10 event will be a monumental moment for science — providing a glimpse of one of the most epic objects in the known universe.

## Media Blitz

The EHT is a [network of telescopes around the globe](<https://futurism.com/this-year-black-hole-first-time-history>). For several years, astronomers have been using it to peer into Sagittarius A\*, the monster black hole at the center of our galaxy with the goal of looking past the space debris to see its event horizon, the point at which matter and light can no longer escape.

An [advance briefing](<https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann19018/?lang>) on the April 10 announcement does little to temper expectations that the team has succeeded in that effort, promising a "groundbreaking result" from the EHT.

It also notes that six major press conferences will be held around the world and encourages the creation of satellite events "due to the importance" of the finding, which has the potential to upend astrophysics forever.

**READ MORE:** [Astronomers Worldwide Are About to Make a Groundbreaking Black Hole Announcement](<https://www.sciencealert.com/the-event-horizon-telescope-is-about-to-make-a-hyuuuuge-announcement>) \[*ScienceAlert*\]

**More on black holes:** *[New Image Confirms a Black Hole is Swallowing Our Galaxy](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/black-hole-milky-way>)*

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)