BlackHoleCam (BHC)
(this project ran for …. years and ended on ….)
We were involved also in the BHC project which aims to image the event horizon of black holes. More information on BHC: https://blackholecam.org/
Making the shadow of black holes visible. Image, measure, and understand astrophysical black holes. These are the goals of a global effort known as the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration. Combining radio telescopes all around the world, the collaboration succeeds in zooming into the closest neighborhood of supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies: M87 and our own Milky Way.
The resolution of this virtual Earth-sized radio telescope exceeds the projected size of these black holes, i.e. the size of their event horizon, from which nothing can escape the enormous gravitational field, not even light. This breakthrough opens a new window into the study of black holes, their event horizons, and gravity.
The whole endeavor is largely made possible by European research and investment, starting from the very idea of observing “shadows” and demonstrating the feasibility of such observations.
BlackHoleCam is the platform for coordinating the European efforts. It started out in 2014 with the collaboration between Prof. Dr. Falcke, Prof. Dr. Kramer, and Prof. Dr. Rezzolla funded by the European Commission (ERC synergy grant “BlackHoleCam: Imaging the Event Horizon of Black Holes” (Grant No. 610058)). By now it combines the capabilities of 32 universities and research institutions all across Europe and South Africa. Please find out more about the European achievements, science goals, and the people behind BlackHoleCam on its website.