Black Hole Tech – July 30

The nearest black hole lurks 1,500 light-years from Earth (~ 10 quadrillion miles!), and it neither emits nor reflects light. How can we possibly detect — far less investigate — such wondrous holes in the fabric of spacetime? High-precision astrometry is the key: adaptive optics allow ground-based telescopes to see through our turbulent atmosphere using ordinary light, and space telescopes provide high-resolution images in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Today, high technology affords astronomers many ways to discover and explore the intriguing space around black hole singularities.

Our speaker, Dr. Jessica Lu, is Associate Professor of Astronomy at UC Berkeley. She also runs Cal’s Moving Universe Lab, and she chairs the Astronomy Department.