Black Holes, and the Tech to Find Them

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.

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