SCP Statutory Public Lecture: February 10, 2020 – Professor Heino Falcke
Speaker : Professor Heino Falcke, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Title : The First Image of a Black Hole
Abstract: One of the most bizarre, but perhaps also most fundamental predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity are black holes. They are extreme concentrations of matter with a gravitational attraction so strong, that not even light can escape. The inside of black holes is shielded from observations by an event horizon, a virtual one-way membrane through which matter, light and information can enter but never leave. This loss of information, however, contradicts some basic tenets of quantum physics. Does such an event horizon really exist? What are its effects on the ambient light and surrounding matter? How does a black hole really look? Can one see it? Recently we have made the first image of a black hole and detected its dark shadow in the radio galaxy M87 with the global Event Horizon Telescope experiment. Detailed supercomputer simulations faithfully reproduce these observations. Simulations and observations together provide strong support for the notion that we are literally looking into the abyss of the event horizon of a supermassive black hole. The talk will review the latest results of the Event Horizon Telescope, its scientific implications and future expansions of the array.
Short bio :
Heino Falcke is professor of astroparticle physics and radio astronomy at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He is chair of the science council of the Event Horizon Telescope, member of the royal Netherlands academy for arts and science, knight in the order of the Dutch lion, and recipient of the Spinoza price, the highest science award of the Netherlands.
We have entered the last month to capture that amazing photo of the sky and win our Astrophotography competition.
We are accepting photographs taken between 01 January 2020 and 31 March 2021.
You can submit an entry up to Friday 02nd April 2021.
More: dias.ie/reachforthesta…
Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition!
@petertgallagher is Head of @DIASAstronomy & has spent the past two decades studying the Sun its impacts on the Earth. To learn more and submit an entry see
dias.ie/reachforthesta…#DIASdiscovers
She has over 15 years’ experience working in PR and communications and has wide-ranging experience of providing strategic communications support to organisations.
Learn more about the competition and submit an entry
👉dias.ie/reachforthesta…#DIASdiscovers#astrophotography
Want to learn more about what's happening on Mars? Check out our public lecture from November delivered Dr John Clinton and titled MarsQuakes! (5/5)
youtu.be/_Lp0oLJ8Ahs
And then this Thursday @NASAMars Perseverance rover reaches Mars, which will try to land in a near equatorial crater called Jezero. Here you can see a possible route around the crater. (4/5)
Last Wednesday, the day the UAE revealed their first image of Mars, China's National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 arrived at Mars. This carries a rover which will be despatched to the surface in the coming months. (3/5)
bbc.com/news/science-e…
First up is the @uaespaceagency's Hope mission entered orbit this day last week. It is the first inter-planetary mission by the UAE, and will stay in a wide orbit for one Martian year or two earth years to study climate and weather. (2/5)
It's a busy month over at our planetary neighbour Mars.
Three missions headed there have or will enter orbit this month. Why so many at one time? They were timed to launch when the distance between the Earth and Mars was relatively short. (1/5)
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Leave a Comment
Last Updated: 30th January 2020 by Anne Grace
SCP Statutory Public Lecture: February 10, 2020 – Professor Heino Falcke
Speaker : Professor Heino Falcke, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Title : The First Image of a Black Hole
Abstract: One of the most bizarre, but perhaps also most fundamental predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity are black holes. They are extreme concentrations of matter with a gravitational attraction so strong, that not even light can escape. The inside of black holes is shielded from observations by an event horizon, a virtual one-way membrane through which matter, light and information can enter but never leave. This loss of information, however, contradicts some basic tenets of quantum physics. Does such an event horizon really exist? What are its effects on the ambient light and surrounding matter? How does a black hole really look? Can one see it? Recently we have made the first image of a black hole and detected its dark shadow in the radio galaxy M87 with the global Event Horizon Telescope experiment. Detailed supercomputer simulations faithfully reproduce these observations. Simulations and observations together provide strong support for the notion that we are literally looking into the abyss of the event horizon of a supermassive black hole. The talk will review the latest results of the Event Horizon Telescope, its scientific implications and future expansions of the array.
Short bio :
Heino Falcke is professor of astroparticle physics and radio astronomy at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He is chair of the science council of the Event Horizon Telescope, member of the royal Netherlands academy for arts and science, knight in the order of the Dutch lion, and recipient of the Spinoza price, the highest science award of the Netherlands.
Date : 19:00, February 10, 2020
Venue: George Moore Auditorium,
UCD O’Brien Centre for Science,
UCD Dublin 4
Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/kKexsyCBjcyhWbwE9
Admission : free but booking is essential
Category: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Astronomy and Astrophysics Section News & Events, DIAS, Major Event
Following on from our post, highlighting inspiring #WomeninResearch and encouraging #MondayMotiviation to explore these subjects. @ChantalKobel presents Celticist, Nessa Ní Shéaghdha and her contributions to the discipline youtu.be/LGPLltjTBKw #DIASdiscovers
We have entered the last month to capture that amazing photo of the sky and win our Astrophotography competition. We are accepting photographs taken between 01 January 2020 and 31 March 2021. You can submit an entry up to Friday 02nd April 2021. More: dias.ie/reachforthesta…
Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition! @petertgallagher is Head of @DIASAstronomy & has spent the past two decades studying the Sun its impacts on the Earth. To learn more and submit an entry see dias.ie/reachforthesta… #DIASdiscovers
She has over 15 years’ experience working in PR and communications and has wide-ranging experience of providing strategic communications support to organisations. Learn more about the competition and submit an entry 👉dias.ie/reachforthesta… #DIASdiscovers #astrophotography
Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition! @MartinaPQuinn is the Founder & Managing Director of @helloalicepr.
Want to learn more about what's happening on Mars? Check out our public lecture from November delivered Dr John Clinton and titled MarsQuakes! (5/5) youtu.be/_Lp0oLJ8Ahs
And then this Thursday @NASAMars Perseverance rover reaches Mars, which will try to land in a near equatorial crater called Jezero. Here you can see a possible route around the crater. (4/5)
Last Wednesday, the day the UAE revealed their first image of Mars, China's National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 arrived at Mars. This carries a rover which will be despatched to the surface in the coming months. (3/5) bbc.com/news/science-e…
First up is the @uaespaceagency's Hope mission entered orbit this day last week. It is the first inter-planetary mission by the UAE, and will stay in a wide orbit for one Martian year or two earth years to study climate and weather. (2/5)
It's a busy month over at our planetary neighbour Mars. Three missions headed there have or will enter orbit this month. Why so many at one time? They were timed to launch when the distance between the Earth and Mars was relatively short. (1/5)
#WomeninResearch