An Actual, Factual Black Hole!

May is National Photo Month, but instead of talking about photos taken in May, I have to say, I’m still pretty hung up on a photo from April. Namely, that of an actual factual for real Black Hole!

If you weren’t aware of this accomplishment, the Event Horizon Telescope’s website gives a detailed summation of what happened. In essence, although we cannot capture the image of a black hole (they consume the light we would use to take photographs), scientists were able to show us the phenomenon due to light refraction surrounding the black hole at its “event horizon” (the outer edge, after which everything is eaten).

Did you find the photo of the black hole to be just too cool? Want to learn about other phenomena like it? Well, Kanopy has you covered.

With access to The Great Courses®, you can watch the series Black Holes, Tides, and Curved Spacetime, which focuses on the history of our knowledge of gravity, and its applications: from a child on a swing, all the way to gravitational waves and string theory. Episode 20, Gravity’s Horizon – Anatomy of a Black Hole, may be of particular interest here. Episode 4 of a different series, The Inexplicable Universe, titled Inexplicable Physics covers a variety of out of this world wonders, including a hypothetical exploration of going through a black hole.

You can try out the new Unlimited Plays in Kanopy Kids with a great outer-space-focused series, Ready Jet Go! The show follows the adventures of three friends as they explore the solar system, learning about science and teamwork.

Or you can explore the stars yourself by checking out a telescope from our Library of Things.

By sheer coincidence, this year’s Summer Reading theme is space! For celestial enthusiasts and newly intrigued persons alike, the library has plenty going on this summer to quench that scientific thirst. Keep an eye on our Events page for upcoming STEM and space-related events!

Courtney T., CADL Downtown Lansing