Mon 16 Mar
|RMG Lecture Theatre
How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole
by Professor Derek-Ward Thompson, Head of School UCLan The recent pictures of black holes, taken using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), have captured headlines around the world. DETAILS ON HOW TO BOOK FOR THIS EVENT ARE EMAILED TO MEMBERS IN THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Time & Location
16 Mar 2026, 19:15 – 21:00
RMG Lecture Theatre, Romney Rd, London SE10 9NF, UK
About the Event
Synopsis:
The recent pictures of black holes, taken using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), have captured headlines around the world. But how were these pictures made? It was a tremendous technological achievement. I will discuss the technical challenges that had to be overcome. I will go on to discuss the interpretation of the images, and the work that has been undertaken since they were first published. I will discuss what this all means for our understanding of black holes. I will finish by discussing plans for future enhancements to the EHT and what this might mean for black hole understanding in the future.
Bio:
Derek teaches across a range of subjects in Physics and Astrophysics. His particular expertise lies in the fields of star and planet formation, as well as interstellar magnetic fields, from the most diffuse regions of space to the dense environments around the event horizons of black…