Reevaluation of the Milky Way’s Black Hole Image

The iconic first image of the Milky Way’s black hole, Sagittarius A*, which was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and presented as a fuzzy orange doughnut, has come under scrutiny. A new independent analysis conducted by scientists at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan has raised questions about the accuracy of this depiction.

The analysis suggests that the doughnut-like shape of the black hole image might be a result of the image processing techniques employed during its creation. The scientists propose that the actual accretion disk surrounding Sagittarius A* could be more elongated than the image suggests. Additionally, they point out that the eastern half of the disk appears brighter, which they believe could be attributed to a Doppler boost effect.

This reevaluation prompts a reconsideration of the visual representation of black holes and encourages further investigation into the characteristics and behaviors of these enigmatic cosmic phenomena.