First real image of blackhole to be unveiled on April 10

Seeing is believing, say enthusiasts around world as y erly await first ever true im of a blackhole, which could reveal shape of mysterious, warped region of time fabric that has fuelled human imagination and inspired numerous sci-fi movies and literature for generations.

Using data from six telescopes located across world, scientists involved in Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project have imd Sagittarius A* -- blackhole located at centre of Milky Way galaxy -- and ar massive black hole 53.5 million light-years away in galaxy M87.

results will be anunced at 6.30 pm IST on Wednesday, April 10.

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gravitational pull of black holes lets thing -- t even particles and electromagnetic riation such as light -- escape from inside it. This makes imaging a blackhole nearly impossible.

Blackholes swallow surrounding gas, which swirls around in a flattened disk, spiralling into it at speeds close to light. riation from this hot whirlpool, however, can be seen.

Scientists have imd this riation, expecting to see show of blackhole against it.

"Basically, in background light show of blackhole can be seen. This is extremely important because although we h a lot of evidence about existence of blackhole, but 'seeing is believing'," said Sudip Bhattacharyya, Associate Professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai.

"If we can directly see that re is something black in background of light -- that is an incredible thing. That would be direct proof of blackholes," Bhattacharyya told PTI.

show is expected to reveal outer most edge of blackhole -- kwn as event horizon -- helping scientists view actual shape of a blackhole for first time.

"For example, if it is a rotating blackhole n it would t look like a perfect circle or disk. It will be some what oblate, or deformed. This deformation and how light bends around blackhole will reveal more information about blackhole," said Bhattacharyya.

Sagittarius A* has a mass approximately four million times that of Sun, but it only looks like a tiny dot from Earth, 26 000 light-years away.

To im such a large object, scientists used a bel Prize winning concept called 'Aperture Synsis', described by British astromer Martin Ryle where data from many small telescopes placed far apart is combined.

technique, which has been used to make rio ims for many deces, provides results similar to using a single telescope as big as area over which smaller ones are located.

ETH project used eight telescopes spre over different locations in US, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Antarctica, Mexico, Denmark and France to create a result similar to having used an Earth-sized telescope.

" blackhole itself is like a giant lens. light coming from behind blackhole will t come in a straight line, like usual, but bend around its edges," Bhattacharyya said.

distribution of bent light, combine with shape of blackhole's show, will give a lot of information about blackhole and its gravitational properties. enthusiasts took to Twitter to express ir excitement as y count down to moment.

"I think in human history we are first generation to see first ever picture of #Blackhole," one user wrote.

"This is epic, legendary, totally mind blowing. inner kid in me is jumping up and down," ar user said.

Some users pointed out how British physicist Stephen Hawking, who passed away last year, missed this historic moment.

In 1974, Hawking for first time predicted existence of Hawking riation which are released by blackholes.

idea of a body so massive that even light could t escape was briefly proposed by astromical pioneer and English clergyman John Michell in a letter published in vember 1784.

In 1915, German scientist Albert Einstein developed his ory of general relativity, having earlier shown that gravity does influence light's motion.

Furr work on ory of general relativity helped prove existence of blackholes.