New images reveal unexpected M87 black hole features

SHANGHAI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- An international telescope collaboration has unveiled new, detailed images of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87, revealing a dynamic environment with changing polarization patterns near the black hole.

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, including astronomers from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has published the images and results in the latest issue of Astronomy &Astrophysics.

The supermassive black hole at the heart of Messier 87, a galaxy roughly 55 million light-years from Earth, was first photographed in 2017 and the images released in 2019 -- marking humanity's inaugural "sight" of a black hole.

In 2018 and 2021, the researchers aimed their telescopes at the same celestial body once again. The finding this time is the distilled product of all three observation campaigns -- and displays how the black hole's magnetic wardrobe has changed across the years.

In 2017, the magnetic fields appeared to spiral one way, while by 2018 they had settled. However in 2021, they had reversed -- spiraling in the opposite direction. These changes suggest an evolving, turbulent environment where magnetic fields play a vital role in governing how matter falls into the black hole and how energy is launched outward, according to the study.

In analyzing EHT data, the team also found the first signatures of the extended jet emission near the black hole's jet base, which connects to the ring around M87.

Jets like M87's play a crucial role in galaxy evolution by regulating star formation and distributing energy on vast scales. M87's powerful jet provides a unique laboratory to study how these cosmic phenomena form and are launched, offering a vital piece of the puzzle.