The first image of a black hole was of M87*, the supermassive monster at the center of the enormous elliptical galaxy M87. The image was only possible thanks to the Event Horizon Telescope, and follow-up observations have revealed more insight, including information about its magnetic field. Researchers have now seen that it is changing quite a lot.<\/p>\n
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Magnetic fields<\/a> in space can be measured by studying the polarization of light, the way light oscillates in specific directions as it travels towards us. 3D film used glasses and polarized light to project two different images to our eyes. Similarly, a strong magnetic field can affect light, creating a polarization pattern that can be seen from across the universe.<\/p>\n M87<\/a> is not that far, all things considered, just 55 million light-years away. The supermassive black hole M87* sits at its center and weighs about 6 billion times the mass of the Sun. The EHT saw the polarization of the plasma around it in 2017, 2018, and 2021. It was first swirling one way, then it seemed stable, and in the latest observations, it is going the opposite way.<\/p>\n “What’s remarkable is that while the ring size has remained consistent over the years \u2013 confirming the black hole’s shadow predicted by Einstein’s theory \u2013 the polarization pattern changes significantly,” co-lead author Paul Tiede, from the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, said in a statement<\/a>. “This tells us that the magnetized plasma swirling near the event horizon is far from static; it’s dynamic and complex, pushing our theoretical models to the limit.”<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that the polarization pattern flipped direction from 2017 to 2021 was totally unexpected,\u201d added Jongho Park, an astronomer at Kyunghee University and a collaborator on the project. \u201cIt challenges our models and shows there\u2019s much we still don\u2019t understand near the event horizon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n M87* produces a jet of material that extends for up to 5,000 light-years. It is made of particles accelerated to almost the speed of light. Studying the magnetic properties of M87* gives an insight into the formation of such a jet, a process that remains mysterious.<\/p>\n “Jets like the one in M87 play a key role in shaping the evolution of their host galaxies. By regulating star formation and distributing energy across vast distances, they affect the life cycle of matter on cosmic scales,” explained Eduardo Ros from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in another statement<\/a>. “Since M87*’s jet emits across the entire spectrum \u2013 from radio waves to gamma rays and neutrinos \u2013 it provides a unique laboratory for investigating how such extreme cosmic phenomena form and are launched.”<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n