In a shocking turn of events, scientists have managed to detect light behind a black hole. This finally confirms one of Albert Einstein‘s biggest predictions regarding the theory of relativity.
A team of astrophysicists from Stanford University led by Dan Wilkins identified the X-rays coming from a supermassive black hole located in a galaxy 800 lightyears away from ours.
These bursts of fire and light aren’t unusual, considering that, albeit light can’t get out of a black hole; the gravity around it can produce unmatched heat. This creates waves and X rays and sends overheated material into outer space.
Nonetheless, Wilkins identified smaller bursts of X-rays, emanating different colors from the furthermost side of the supermassive black hole.
Confirming Einstein’s theory
“Any light that goes into that black hole doesn’t come out. So we shouldn’t be able to see anything that’s behind the black hole,” said Wilkins. “I’ve been building theoretical predictions of how these echoes appear to us for a few years. I’d already seen them in the theory I’ve been developing. So once I saw them in the telescope observations, I could figure out the connection.”
Einstein’s theory states that gravity is the matter which shapes time and space has been long withstanding within the scientific community. Now, this confirms one of his biggest hypotheses.

When gas falls into a black hole, it can heat up to millions of degrees. That makes the atoms break apart and creates magnetic plasma. The black hole’s gravitational forces make its magnetic field bend over it and twist until it finally breaks.
Naturally, they will continue to investigate this matter going forward. The European Space Agency’s X-ray observatory, Athena (Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics) will be in charge of that. Imagine all the secrets they have yet to unveil about physics and the universe as a whole.