New Image Shows Violent Events Near a Supermassive Black Hole

2023-05-05

00:00 / 00:00
复读宝 RABC v8.0beta 复读机按钮使用说明
播放/暂停
停止
播放时:倒退3秒/复读时:回退AB段
播放时:快进3秒/复读时:前进AB段
拖动:改变速度/点击:恢复正常速度1.0
拖动改变复读暂停时间
点击:复读最近5秒/拖动:改变复读次数
设置A点
设置B点
取消复读并清除AB点
播放一行
停止播放
后退一行
前进一行
复读一行
复读多行
变速复读一行
变速复读多行
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1
  • Scientists last week released the first image showing the violent events surrounding a black hole.
  • 2
  • This image is one of just a few that have been taken of black holes.
  • 3
  • It included the point from which the black hole shoots out high-energy particles into space.
  • 4
  • The new image was captured using 16 telescopes around the world that, in effect, created a planet-sized observational dish.
  • 5
  • The supermassive black hole pictured is found at the center of a relatively nearby galaxy called Messier 87, or M87, about 54 million light-years from Earth.
  • 6
  • This black hole has a mass 6.5 billion times larger than our sun.
  • 7
  • It was the subject of the first image of a black hole ever taken.
  • 8
  • That image was released in 2019.
  • 9
  • Another image of a black hole was taken last year.
  • 10
  • But those images showed just the darkness of the black hole and surrounding bright material falling into it.
  • 11
  • They were taken from observations using several radio telescopes worldwide.
  • 12
  • The latest image shows light at a longer wavelength, which expands what can be seen.
  • 13
  • Black holes are hard to observe due to their nature.
  • 14
  • They are events found in space with a gravitational pull so strong that no matter or light can escape once caught too close.
  • 15
  • Most galaxies are built around supermassive black holes.
  • 16
  • Some not only take in any surrounding material, but also send out bright jets of high-energy particles far into space - beyond the galaxy from which they are from.
  • 17
  • The new image shows how the base of such a jet connects with material around the black hole.
  • 18
  • It shows the base of the jet of hot plasma, the light around the darkness of a black hole from hot plasma falling into it, and the central dark area.
  • 19
  • Plasma is the fourth state of matter after solids, liquids, and gases.
  • 20
  • It is material so hot that some or all of its atoms are split into high-energy subatomic particles.
  • 21
  • Scientist Ru-Sen Lu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai is the lead writer of the study, which was published in Nature.
  • 22
  • He said the image shows for the first time the connection between the material pulled inward near the central supermassive black hole and the point from which the jet starts.
  • 23
  • Seeing the whole area near a supermassive black hole can be helpful to scientists.
  • 24
  • Thomas Krichbaum of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany is a co-writer of the study.
  • 25
  • He said, "This helps to better understand the complicated physics around black holes, how jets are launched and accelerated and how matter inflow into the black hole and matter outflow are related."
  • 26
  • Kazunori Akiyama of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Haystack Observation also co-wrote the study.
  • 27
  • He said this is what scientists "have been wanting to see for more than half a century."
  • 28
  • He added that this is the beginning of an "exciting" new time.
  • 29
  • Lu, Krichbaum, and Akiyama are members of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project.
  • 30
  • The international working group formed in 2012 with the goal of directly observing a black hole's surrounding environment.
  • 31
  • I'm Gregory Stachel
  • 1
  • Scientists last week released the first image showing the violent events surrounding a black hole. This image is one of just a few that have been taken of black holes. It included the point from which the black hole shoots out high-energy particles into space.
  • 2
  • The new image was captured using 16 telescopes around the world that, in effect, created a planet-sized observational dish.
  • 3
  • The supermassive black hole pictured is found at the center of a relatively nearby galaxy called Messier 87, or M87, about 54 million light-years from Earth. This black hole has a mass 6.5 billion times larger than our sun.
  • 4
  • It was the subject of the first image of a black hole ever taken. That image was released in 2019. Another image of a black hole was taken last year.
  • 5
  • But those images showed just the darkness of the black hole and surrounding bright material falling into it. They were taken from observations using several radio telescopes worldwide.
  • 6
  • The latest image shows light at a longer wavelength, which expands what can be seen.
  • 7
  • Black holes are hard to observe due to their nature. They are events found in space with a gravitational pull so strong that no matter or light can escape once caught too close.
  • 8
  • Most galaxies are built around supermassive black holes. Some not only take in any surrounding material, but also send out bright jets of high-energy particles far into space - beyond the galaxy from which they are from.
  • 9
  • The new image shows how the base of such a jet connects with material around the black hole. It shows the base of the jet of hot plasma, the light around the darkness of a black hole from hot plasma falling into it, and the central dark area.
  • 10
  • Plasma is the fourth state of matter after solids, liquids, and gases. It is material so hot that some or all of its atoms are split into high-energy subatomic particles.
  • 11
  • Scientist Ru-Sen Lu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai is the lead writer of the study, which was published in Nature. He said the image shows for the first time the connection between the material pulled inward near the central supermassive black hole and the point from which the jet starts.
  • 12
  • Seeing the whole area near a supermassive black hole can be helpful to scientists.
  • 13
  • Thomas Krichbaum of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany is a co-writer of the study. He said, "This helps to better understand the complicated physics around black holes, how jets are launched and accelerated and how matter inflow into the black hole and matter outflow are related."
  • 14
  • Kazunori Akiyama of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Haystack Observation also co-wrote the study. He said this is what scientists "have been wanting to see for more than half a century." He added that this is the beginning of an "exciting" new time.
  • 15
  • Lu, Krichbaum, and Akiyama are members of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project. The international working group formed in 2012 with the goal of directly observing a black hole's surrounding environment.
  • 16
  • I'm Gregory Stachel
  • 17
  • Will Dunham reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 18
  • __________________________________________________________________
  • 19
  • Words in This Story
  • 20
  • galaxy n. any one of the very large groups of stars that make up the universe
  • 21
  • jet - n. a very strong stream of liquid or gas that comes out through a narrow opening
  • 22
  • complicated - adj. having many parts or steps
  • 23
  • accelerate - v. to move faster
  • 24
  • exciting - adj. causing feelings of interest and enthusiasm
  • 25
  • _________________________________________________________________
  • 26
  • What do you think of this story?
  • 27
  • We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works:
  • 28
  • Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.