About Us
The ngEHT Concept
The next generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) will capture the sharpest images and even videos of black holes. To make this possible, it will link together telescopes all over the world to create a virtual Earth-sized telescope.
Simulated reconstruction of Sgr A* at ngEHT resolution. Credit: Daniel Palumbo
Building on the success of the original Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and the first black hole picture ever, the ngEHT will use state-of-the-art technology to modernize existing instrumentation and develop new capabilities while expanding the geographical footprint of the array with roughly 10 new dishes. With this transformative enhancement, the ngEHT will use the technique of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) to unite an array of dishes spread across numerous continents into a single virtual telescope. Taking advantage of an additional observing frequency and modern high-speed data transfer protocols, data from this array will be used to form images and movies through advanced data processing algorithms.
Other potential sites can be found here. Image Credit: Alex Raymond
This cutting-edge technology will enable revolutionary science. The ngEHT will capture sharp movies of black holes and better black hole pictures than ever before. It will test Einstein’s general theory of relativity at the event horizon, in the most dangerous relativistic laboratory in the universe. It will uncover the nature of the magnetic field, the unseen force that shapes the surroundings of black holes. And it will discover the origin of black hole jets, the immense beams of particles that defy a black hole’s gravity.
The Global Collaboration
The next generation Event Horizon Telescope could not succeed without the support of its hard-working, diverse team. The science demands international collaboration. The Science at the Horizon: The Next-Generation EHT science conference was attended by over 500 participants from over 30 countries around the world. This global community will drive the ngEHT to achieve its science goals. The Event Horizon Telescope took the first massive step in black hole imaging. The next generation Event Horizon Telescope is about to take the next.
Image Credit: Nick Conroy
Support for the ngEHT
Support for the ngEHT includes grants from the National Science Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.