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Preston Hollow People: What did scientists learn from first black hole photo?

DALLAS (SMU) – Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People journalist Bianca R. Montes interviewed Joel Meyers, an assistant professor of physics at SMU, to make sense of what scientists learned from the first-ever image of a black hole, which was revealed by the Event Horizon Telescope last Wednesday.

Meyers is a theoretical astrophysicist who studies a variety of pressing topics, including phenomena in the early universe and observations of the cosmic microwave background.  He said the image of the black hole was “the most direct visualization” we’ve ever had of what these fascinating objects in space actually look like.

“It’s a really dramatic step forward in our ability to say here is a black hole and it cast a shadow,” Meyers said.

Meyers said the image also backs up Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity, which was made more than 100 years ago.

“The fact that the image is so close to what we predicted was really a striking confirmation that scientists know what they are doing,” he said.

Read more of what Meyers told the Preston Hollow People on April 10.

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