Astronomers have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence

Astronomers have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to uncover new secrets about black holes, particularly Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.


The international team of scientists trained a neural network using millions of simulated black hole scenarios to interpret real-world data collected by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). This innovative approach has led to the revelation that Sagittarius A* likely rotates at the maximum speed possible, which is a significant finding.

The EHT, a network of radio telescopes, captures images of black holes by visualizing the radio waves they emit. Typically, a large amount of the data collected is discarded due to the complexity involved in interpreting it. However, the trained neural network can process this data, leading to more detailed images and insights. By analyzing the once-discarded information, the AI was able to generate an alternative image of Sagittarius A* that suggests its rotation axis is aligned with Earth, and that it is spinning almost at the speed of light, which is the theoretical maximum.

Understanding the rotation speed of black holes is crucial as it provides insights into the behavior of the radiation surrounding them and the nature of the accretion disks—the swirling masses of gas, dust, and other matter that orbit the black hole before falling in. This discovery challenges existing theories and opens new avenues for research into black hole dynamics.

The team's use of machine learning and AI represents a major advancement in the field of astronomy, demonstrating the potential for these technologies to enhance our understanding of the universe's most enigmatic objects. The researchers plan to refine their models and simulations to further improve the EHT's capabilities and uncover more mysteries about black holes in the future.