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Black hole is no

more unseeable

The first visualisation of a black hole is likely to revolutionise our understanding of one of
the great mysteries of the universe, reports tehelka bureau

he world has laid eyes on an breakthrough, but on Wednesday, a computer science and electrical en-
image a black hole that pre- picture of her triumphantly beaming gineering, not astrophysics, Bouman
viously was considered to as the image of the black hole materi- and her team worked for three years
be unseeable. The first visu- alised on her computer screen went building the imaging code. Once the
T alisation of a black hole is viral, with many determined that algorithm had been built, Bouman
likely to revolutionise our understand- Bouman’s indispensable role was not worked with dozens of EHT research-
ing of one of the great mysteries of written out of history — as so often has ers for a further two years develop-
the universe. And the woman whose been the case for female scientists and ing and testing how the imaging of
crucial algorithm helped make it researchers, reported Guardian. the black hole could be designed. But
possible is just 29 years old. The data reportedly used to piece it wasn’t until June last year, when all
Katie Bouman was a PhD student together the image was captured by the telescope data finally arrived, that
in computer science and artificial the Event Horizon telescope (EHT), Bouman and a small team of fellow
intelligence at the Massachusetts a network of eight radio telescopes researchers sat down in a small room
Institute of Technology (MIT) when, spanning locations from Antarctica to at Harvard and put their algorithm
three years ago, she led the creation Spain and Chile. Bouman’s role, when properly to the test, the Guardian
of an algorithm that would eventually she joined the team working on the report pointed out.
lead to an image of a supermassive project six years ago as a 23-year-old With just the press of a button, a
black hole at the heart of the Messier junior researcher, was to help build an fuzzy orange ring appeared on Bou-
87 galaxy, some 55m light years from algorithm which could construct the man’s computer screen, the world’s
Earth, being captured for the first time, masses of astronomical data collected first image of a supermassive black
media reports said. by the telescope into a single coherent hole, and astronomical history was
Bouman was among a team of 200 image. made. In a post on social media, Bou-
researchers who contributed to the Though her background was in man emphasised the collaborative

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 58 www.Tehelka.com