Using telescopes capable of detecting X-rays, a team of astronomers has for the first time observed this area — called the “plunging region” — in a black hole about 10,000 light-years from Earth. The study’s findings could help astronomers better understand the formation and evolution of black holes. One thing that’s missing from the study is an actual image of the black hole, because it is too small and far away. But another team of Oxford researchers is working on something even better than a picture: the first movie of a black hole. “For example, it can be used to measure the rotation rate of the black hole,” said Reynolds, who was not involved in the study.

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Persons: CNN — Albert Einstein, “ We’ve, ”, Andrew Mummery, ” It’s, Einstein’s, Mummery, “, We’ve, ” Mummery, Weiss, Christopher Reynolds, Reynolds, Dan Wilkins, Wilkins, ” Wilkins Organizations: CNN, Royal Astronomical Society, Leverhulme, Peierls, University of Oxford, NASA, Space, JPL, Caltech, Oxford, University of Maryland, College, Stanford University in Locations: United Kingdom, Africa, Namibia, Stanford University in California