Typically black holes destroy any light that goes near them – so this spectacle was one of fascination.
But now, for the first time ever – scientists have seen light from behind a black hole.
In a new study, researchers, led by astrophysicist at Stanford University in California Dan Wilkins, found that flares of light were bursting out from a black hole.
The study, which used the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR space telescopes, found that the light was echoing around the black hole so it could be seen from the other side.
This was discovered after scientists examined X-rays which were being thrown out into the centre of a galaxy, 800 million light-years away.
What is a black hole?
A black hole is a place in space where there is a strong gravitational field, that even light cannot escape.
This can happen when the centre of a star falls into itself, collapses or dies.
The gravitational field in space gets the star stuck in a small space and cannot escape.
As no light can escape when pulled into a black hole, people cannot see a black hole in space, they appear invisible.
However, telescopes with special features can be used to spot black holes, these can also be used to see how stars act differently when close to a black hole.
What did the study discover?
At the time of the study, researchers were studying a scientific feature called the corona, but then the telescopes picked up unexpected “luminous echoes”.
The flares of light appeared different from previous flares found in the galaxy, showing up smaller and of different colours.
The X-rays appeared to be reflected from the other side of the black hole, which is very unexpected and unusual as black holes usually destroy light.
Dr Wilkins said in a statement: “Any light that goes into that black hole doesn’t come out, so we shouldn’t be able to see anything that’s behind the black hole.”
Explaining the X-rays and how they could be seen, Dr Wilkins continued: “The reason we can see that is because that black hole is warping space, bending light and twisting magnetic fields around itself.”
This is the first time these X-rays have been seen with predictions this could happen to date all the way back to Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
However, until now it had never happened, it was simply a myth or unresolved theory.
Co-author of the research, published in Nature Roger Blandford said in a statement: “Fifty years ago, when astrophysicists started to speculate how the magnetic field might behave close to a black hole, they had no idea that one day we might have the techniques to observe this directly and see Einstein’s general theory of relativity in action.”
The new discovery is the first time light has ever been seen directly coming from behind the black hole.
The initial research was of the corona, a common light formed by a black hole. It wraps around the outer of the black hole, forming as materials fall in.
The corona is one of the brightest lights in the galaxy formed by the black hole, and it shoots out X-ray light which is then used to analyse the black hole.
Scientists suggest that the corona starts when gas falls into the black hole, this is then heated up to temperatures of millions of degrees.
The temperature is so hot that the electrons are ripped apart from atoms, creating the X-ray light by huge arcing and spiralling, magnetic fields being broken apart.
Explaining this further Dan said in a statement “This magnetic field getting tied up and then snapping close to the black hole heats everything around it and produces these high energy electrons that then go on to produce the X-rays.”
